Fire Emblem Fates: A Tale of Two Royals
by Daxmvarg
Summary: A tale of two royals, bound by fate, birthrights, and love; an alternate telling of Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation (Arc 3/5 finished)
1. Arc 1: Ties That Bind

A/N: This is my first fanfic I ever wrote or came up with. In fact, I came up with this idea while I was high off of laughing gas after getting my wisdom teeth pulled. If there's some resemblance to other fanfics, its probably because I took some topics that I found really interesting and changed it to better fit my story. It's like how people paint, they take inspirations from other sources and put those ideas and inspirations into their own work. That's what I did here, and I hope you guys all enjoy it. If not, well at least it heartens me that people took their own time to read my work, even if it was composed while I was high. If there's anything wrong syntax or diction wise, I'mma chalk it up to my C+ in Language Arts Classes. This reality is based in the Revelations path, but I tried to make it as accurate to the game as possible. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem Fates, any of the characters, or have friends. :(

Spoiler Alert: Slight spoilers for the Revelation path, but c'mon. If you're reading this fanfic, chances are you like Fire Emblem and chances are you already know half the story anyways.

* * *

Azura was never one to fall asleep easily, what with the knowledge of the fact that she was the last of her bloodline and people, the fact that they were in the middle of a war, and how both she and Corrin were basically nothing more than hostages in the world's largest chess game. Those problems, plus a healthy dollop of flashbacks, nightmares, social anxiety, and low-esteem meant that whenever she _did_ manage to fall asleep for more than a few hours at a time meant that she often spent the entire night tossing and turning, often ending up at the floor of her quarters to twisted in ways human bodies were never meant to be twisted.

Most people in these situations would've spent the entire day lying in their beds then, wondering whether or not they should follow their friend's—if they had any friends—advice on seeking help.

Not Azura, though.

Though she would never admit it if Elise or the rest of her many siblings asked on it, there was _one_ person that always managed to bring a smile to her face, that always managed to make her feel safe and relaxed. What with his charming smile and his laid-back and easygoing nature, Corrin always managed to bring out this happy little dollop of sunlight in the eternal night that she often referred to as her life.

Azura huffed and groaned in pain as she fell out of her bed and onto the floor for the third time that time. As she huffed and climbed back into her bed, she knew that tonight would be just like every other night.

* * *

" _MOTHER!"_

 _Corrin's anguished sobs echoed throughout the ruined market as he held Mikoto in his arms. Azura watched with horror and shock, tears streaming down her face._

 _She had been walking behind Mikoto and Corrin as they chatted about their day. Azura had followed them along silently, simply nodding and smiling whenever they brought her into the conversation._

 _While Mikoto was explaining to Corrin what presenting him to the general public would do for them, Azura noticed a hooded man slinking into a shaded alleyway. While watching a man wearing a hood on a sunny day was suspicion enough, the mere fact that the man was making a conscious effort to hide any and all parts of his body set Azura on edge, though she wasn't sure why_

 _Later, that same man pushed his way to the front of the crowd, so that he was in the empty space separating the rabble from the royals. Shocked whispers spread out among the crowd at the man's blatant disrespect, but Mikoto and Corrin simply raised an eyebrow._ _The man reached out with his hand_ _towards Corrin and Mikoto_ _—a hand that was covered with purple flames. Mikoto frowned and opened her mouth undoubtedly to alert her guards, but Corrin's sword suddenly flew off his waist and into the man's outstretched hand._

 _The hooded man thrust Ganglari into the ground, whereupon it started to pulse violently. A massive orb of fell energy burst free of the blade, shattering it and instantly killing and shredding apart any innocents standing too close to it. Mikoto's and Corrin's widened in shock as the shards of the weapon streaked through the air towards them._

 _The two guards in front of Mikoto reacted instantly, putting their bodies and lives between the shards and their liege, to no avail. The shards pierced through their body as easily as a sword would tear through paper, and still carried enough momentum behind them to easily kill anyone._

 _Azura's hands flew to her mouth, her eyes widening as Mikoto threw herself in front of Corrin, further shielding him. She screamed, a terrible, keening sound that Azura didn't even know humans could make, as she collapsed into Corrin's arms._

 _Corrin fell to his knees in shock as she whispered a few words to him. What, the words were, Azura did not know. They were meant for Corrin, and Corrin alone._

 _Whatever the case, Mikoto's body grew still within his arms as Corrin screamed in raw agony and rage. Takumi and Sakura were likewise stunned into silence. Save for the royals, a few guards staggering to their feet, and the cries of the wounded buried in the rubble, everyone was dead._ _The once-beautiful town square looked nothing more than Valla's empty ruins just then. Clouds of dust billowed upwards in massive heaves as pieces of rubble continued raining from the sky._

 _To her, the world had gone mute. She flatly watched as Ryoma pulled himself to his feet with Raijinto and pointed the legendary weapon towards the man, who—despite being at the center of the fell explosion—stood silently, gently swaying side to side as if a small breeze was blowing against him._

 _Ryoma dashed forward and slashed the man shoulder to hip, revealing nothing but tatters of the cloak he had just worn._

 _Azura stared at the image of her adoptive brother shouting his fury and challenges to the world before another, more terrible sight drew her attention away from him. Gouts of fire and purple energy were spurting from between the folds of Corrin's armor as his arms snapped out to either side of him as he roared, quite literally roared, his anger to the gods._

 _Red and purple fire shot out from beneath his feet as a thick smoke covered the rest of the body. Despite the smoke, Azura could barely make out the sight of wings sprouting from his back, his hands and feet changing—twisting—themselves into talons._

 _In Corrin's place stood a dragon, its platinum white scales stark against the clouds of dust billowing everywhere. It reared back and roared, grief and rage apparent, even in its mindless savagery._

 _It turned and mauled an unfortunate soldier that was struggling to climb to his feet nearby. Takumi snapped out of his shock and hurriedly pulled Sakura away from the dragon as what remained of the contingent of guards that had escorted Corrin and Mikoto charged towards the dragon._

 _"What is that?" Takumi asked, once he and Sakura were safely out of the dragon's reach._

 _"It's…it's a dragon," Ryoma blurted. "I thought…I never thought I'd ever see the day…"_

 _If anything, it was the presence of fear in Hoshido's crown prince that drew her out of her shock. She ducked out from behind the pillar that she had been hiding behind and raced towards the dragon, pulling her pendant from the confines of her dress and hair as she did so._

 _The dragon reared back its head and roared again in triumph at the dozen or so mangled bodies surrounding it. Its massive head snapped towards Azura as it saw her coming._

 _Azura mentally leafed through her options as she slowed to a walk. Azura knew little of dragons, save that one of them was responsible for the destruction of Valla, and that they, like any elder race, were prone to fits of madness, and should their madness consume them, nothing would be left the same._

 _There was only one option, and it was a risky one at that if it failed, but without hesitation, Azura took it. She opened her lips to sing the song that had proven to be both her birthright and burden._

 _"_ You are the ocean's gray waves…"

" _Azura! Stop!"_

 _Ryoma broke free of his trance-like state and was even fast enough to grab Azura's arm before a blast of water erupted out from under his feet, pushing him back towards Sakura and Takumi._

 _Azura spared a second to glance over her shoulder at them before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to fortify her resolve._

"You are the ocean's wave waves, destined to seek…

Life beyond the shore, just out of reach…"

 _The dragon roared at her again, spread its wings out to appear larger. Despite this, there was something about the dragon's cry this time. It was meeker and more desperate this time, rather than full of fury the first time it had roared._

 _For a split second, Azura allowed her heart to soar. She was succeeding! She took another step towards the dragon as she burst into the next stanza._

 _The dragon's tail twitched, ever so slightly._

 _Azura's eyes widened and she tried to raise her hands to protect herself as the dragon reared and slashed her, shoulder to hip, with its claws. Azura screamed in pain as she fell onto her back, her vision flashing black and red as the back of her head slammed into the ground._

 _Through the pain and blurry vision, she tried to gasp out the last line of her song. Before she could even open her mouth, however, the dragon's claws slammed into her throat, causing her to cry out in pain as Sakura screamed her name._

 _Azura weakly grasped what would've been the wrist of the dragon's claw as tears streamed down her face._

 _"_ Flowing…like time…the path is yours…to climb…"

 _The dragon tiled its head in amusement as it looked down at the slender human hand touching its scale. Azura did the same, and to her horror, saw that' there were splotches of purple energy spreading out throughout her body and arm._

 _"No…" she whimpered as the familiar numbness spread throughout her body. "N-not yet…"_

 _The dragon curiously jabbed at where Azura's face would've been with a single talon, only to be met with a splash of water. The dragon shook its head and rolled its shoulder back, almost as if it was shrugging, before it turned on Takumi, Ryoma, and Sakura._

 _Takumi screamed in pain as the dragon tore him limb from limb while Ryoma staggered away, trying to hold in his intestines with a single arm. The single paw slammed onto Azura's pendant, shattering it. Sakura screamed once, as the dragon turned its full attention on her, and was silenced._

 _All this and more, Azura watched as she felt herself slowly drifting upward to join her mother and father. The last image she saw before she left was the silhouette of Corrin's curled-up body in the dragon's chest as it stamped and tore on Sakura's, Takumi's, and Ryoma's carcasses._

* * *

Azura bolted upright. Surely, it was dawn, right? The nightmares always felt like they lasted an eternity, but a quick query to a passing sentry confirmed her suspicions.

She sat down at the edge of her bed, holding her head in her hands and tears fell freely onto the floor between her feet. After a while, the tears slowly stopped coming, and Azura lifted her head to stare out the window at the woods surrounding the castle.

The castle had no name, and throughout the war, both Corrin and Azura had referred to it as "MyCastle," though Azura wasn't sure that would be the case once the war was over. If it was ever over.

According to Lilith, the castle had been built some forty-odd centuries ago, during the First War, the war that also formed the three nations of Nohr, Valla, and Hoshido. Which nation built it, nobody knew, since the castle shared similarities to both Nohrian and Hoshidan architect and was supposedly a vital checkpoint and defensive location on what was now The Bottomless Canyon.

None had been able to breach it, since every time a foreign army attempt to take it, they were repelled every time. Eventually, one of the sides called upon the Astral Dragon Moro to seal the castle, along with all of its defendants away inside an alternate dimension. Said dimension was the Astral Plane. The trapped defenders slowly wasted away due to infighting and starvation, and history slowly lost track of it.

Lilith had said that the castle existed in real life, and was still "present," so to speak, but according to the former stable-girl, no one could enter, and no one could leave. Walking towards the edge of the border would result in the would-be trespasser ending up several dozen feet away, dazed and confused, with no idea how they got there. Similarly, it's impossible to leave the castle, since walking towards the distant ocean and mountains would cause one to be dumped back in the center in an undignified heap. Not that one was forbidden from leaving the castle ground; Moro had been generous enough to gift the original inhabitants with nearly 40 kilometers of land around the castle. Not that it did much to help, since the original defenders had nothing save for their horses, boots, and a few barrels of mead for food.

The only way to travel back and forth to the real world, as well as to grow food, is with the help of an Astral Dragon.

Thankfully, Corrin's stable girl, Lilith, turned out to be one of these Astral Dragons, and was more than willing to warp and change the land in the astral plane to what Corrin saw fit. That was how he was able to fund this entire war against Valla, though to the handful of soldiers and mercenaries that had willingly joined them, it was to unite Hoshido and Nohr once again.

When Corrin discovered that he could ask Lilith to change the land as he saw fit, in any way he wanted—so long as it was physically possible—he had immediately requested that she create a lake in the woods surrounding the castle, so that it "looked like the lake where I met Azura at, in Hoshido."

At first, Azura had been against the idea of Corrin taking away valuable land just so that she could have a place to sing in private, but once the nightmares and flashbacks started to show up, she found herself more often than not spending her nights strolling around the perimeter of the lake, waiting for her pulse to settle down.

Azura stood up and quickly dressed herself, pulling a cloak around herself for both modesty and warmth. She needed to tell Corrin the truth, the truth about the bags under her eyes and the sadness in her life. It was about time that she visited the lake again.


	2. Chapter 2

Corrin stared down at the girl in passionate disinterest as she struggled to pry her hands off the claw around her throat.

"P-please, Corrin," she gasped. "D-don't do this…"

Where Corrin's eyes would've been on the metallic-blue faceplate that was his face, they would've gleamed as Corrin pressed even harder. A snap echoed around the ruined courtyard. This time, the girl fell silent, and remained silent.

Just as Corrin reared his head back to roar his triumph, a sense of panic and dread overcame him as he saw thick black smoke crawling over his vision, blotting out all the color in the world as an excruciating, ming-bumbing pain spread throughout his entire body. In a flash, he was back in his human forms, and the first thing that hit him was the smell of death and blood pervading through the air.

The second thing to hit him was the wet feeling in his legs and knees. He looked down to see, to his horror, the crushed and mangled body of Azura, the only person he had met so far in Hoshido who he could trust.

And now she was dead.

"No!" he shouted, reeling backwards. He clutched his head in his hands as tears flowed freely, unchecked.

He gently held Azura's crumpled body in his arms as his eyes wandered blindly over the destruction he had wrought as a dragon. In the smoke, he could faintly see the ruined bodies of Sakura, Takumi, Ryoma, and all those who had been caught in his rampage.

Even more tears fell freely from his cheeks as he stroked Azura's blood-stained hair out of her face and pulled her close to his chest. The once white dress was now stained with her blood, and her beautiful, once-long hair, was shredded and torn out of her scalp by the clumps. As he grieved her death, he was dimly aware of wings sprouting forth from his back and claws shooting out from his arms again, only this time, it wasn't him who was in control of his body, but the dragon.

The dragon rose from the ground and stared down at the broken body again before he turned and spread his wings. After a few flaps, he rose grandly into the air. The dragon turned towards the mountains, where he knew there would be more humans. Even as he pumped his wings, Corrin could smell the blood already sitting on his tongue.

A series of visions flashed through him then. A lake glistening underneath the moonlight. A castle, a thick black smoke billowing hundreds of feet into the air. A flash of light as a golden sword—Yato— burst into flames, its edges surrounded with its divine fire. A crowd cheering, their voices tainted with outrage as they threw whatever they could get their hands on at a single man shuffling towards a set of gallows. A baby's cry echoed throughout a nursery as its mother gently coddled it. A hooded man standing between two doors, a congenial smile on his face. The hooded man opened his eyes to reveal red eyes, similar to Corrin's. A man knelt before a woman, a ring made of onyx and diamonds, a sapphire beset within its head glistening in the sunset.

* * *

With a gasp, Corrin's eyes snapped open, and he bolted upright. He groaned and shook his head.

"What was that?" he murmured to himself. "What were those visions?"

Corrin raised his head off the desk and blindly wandered over to the window-door leading to the balcony. As he pushed the doors open, he cast a rueful glance at the tiny cot pushed away in the corner.

If he had thought bring Nohr and Hoshido together to unite against Anankos was stressful, trying to prevent the two from killing each other while they waited for the rest of their forces to arrive in the astral plane and The Bottomless Canyon was outright nerve-wracking. He often spent his nights perusing over reports of Nohrian soldiers blaming Hoshidans for a broken polearm, and Hoshidans blaming Nohrians for "accidentally" tripping them on their way to the privy and so on.

With a sigh, he rested his hands on the balcony handrail and allowed the moonlight to bathe him in its gaze. Despite Lilith saying that the castle was sealed away in an astral plane, the land was still subject to the laws of time, and as such, the passage of day and night. At first, Corrin had been glad: without anything to keep track of the numbers of days he spent in the astral plane, he very well could've gone a week, a month, possibly a full year without ever noticing the passage of time. Now, every time the sun kissed the surface of the world, Corrin felt a growing irritation within himself whenever he glared at the pile of paperwork still on his desk.

Between being half-dragon, burdened with the knowledge of a dragon in a hidden kingdom intent on destroying the world, and trying to prevent one side of his family from the killing the other, he usually spent more nights awake than not.

He yawned and stretched his arms behind his head. As he turned to head back into his study, he noticed a shadow detach itself from the rest of the castle's and head off into the woods, towards the lake.

Corrin smiled. Who else could it be but Azura?

Corrin has had a rough life. He knew it. His siblings knew it. Everyone knew it. But Azura? Azura was…different.

The day he had met her singing her song by the lakeside, he had been entranced by her in a way he'd never been entranced before. Sure, there was that one instance where he "accidentally" walked in on Flora and Felicia still in their smallclothes as child to see whether or not maids slept at all, but that didn't count in Corrin's books.

Azura struck him out as…different. The fact that she was absolutely beautiful, plus the melancholy way she sang, surprised him almost as much as the fact that she was a hostage, same as him. Even as he was kidnapped from Hoshido as a child, Azura was kidnapped from Nohr. She looked so scared, yet so resigned to her fate, that Corrin wouldn't help but feel the urge to roll and wrap her up in a blanket to feed her every ounce of his positivity until the tears stopped flowing.

That, and the aforementioned reasons, caused something to click within Corrin. He had never felt both so drawn and protective towards someone before, least of all someone he had barely met more than a couple of months ago.

Corrin glanced again at the tiny cot in the corner of his study before heading inside to grab a cloak.

"It's not like I'm going to get anything else done tonight, right?" he said to himself. He grasped his dragonstone in his hand, the surface smooth and warm behind his palm, and concentrated on a partial transformation without making any noise. A flash of light shone through the night as his head was replaced by his draconic counterpart, and silver wings spread and unfurled themselves from his back. Despite the only light coming from the moonlight and the lanterns of the sentries patrolling the castle battlements, his wings shimmered in the dark.

With only a moment's pause, Corrin tensed his legs and jumped off the balcony, entering a shallow glide. Using the light breeze that had sprung up to carry him, Corrin made his way over the castle battlements, swerving only to avoid the wandering eyes of a watchmen looking upward towards the sky.

He didn't need to wonder where Azura was heading. He was heading towards the same place as well.


	3. Chapter 3

Azura hummed a little Hoshidan ditty to herself as she paced around the edge of the lake. The lake, for a reason she had not revealed to anyone other than Corrin, calmed her like nothing else could. Sure, the feeling of holding or petting something cute and fluffy made her want to cuddle up to it as much as she could, but here, at the lake, this was the one place where she could truly feel relaxed.

"I thought I'd find you here," a voice sounded from somewhere above her, it's owner's tone distorted by a warbling metallic sheen. "It's not like I specifically asked Lilith to create this lake for you."

Azura smiled and turned to see Corrin gliding towards her. "Hello Corrin," she greeted. "What brings you out here tonight?"

Corrin landed on his feet, catlike. His wings folded themselves into his back as his red eyes gleamed at her in the darkness. "Why, nothing, Azura," he replied playfully. "I was 'doing my work,' and all of a sudden, I saw you walking into the forest. Is there another reason why I would like to talk to you?"

Azura smiled, that familiar dollop of sunlight relighting itself in her chest. "Well, truth be told, I wanted to talk to you tonight."

That got Corrin's attention. Though she could be blunt, Azura was not one to outright tell others what she wanted.

He raised his eyebrows. "What did you need?" he asked.

Azura looked away and rubbed her arm. "Well, it's sort of a long story," she said hesitatingly.

Corrin walked up to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Well, I've had a long night. Surprise me."

At first, Corrin had thought his gesture and words might've pushed Azura away. She was _definitely_ not one to appreciate such advances, but to his relief, she did not. Instead, she leaned into him, though neither noticed.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Are…are you going to say anything?"

Azura jumped. She had been getting used to the weight around her shoulders, that she forgot what she was going to say. "Oh, right! Like I was saying, I've wanted to tell you something. The truth."

Corrin raised his eyebrows. "The truth? Is it something like 'Anankos is secretly driving the war between Hoshido and Nohr, and he lives in a kingdom where if you say its name, you disappear,' or is it something else?"

Azura giggled before she could stop herself, but immediately sobered up. "No. I'm afraid the truth is something much smaller this time, but no less important. The truth is…I've been having these nightmares recently."

That _definitely_ rose Corrin's eyebrows. He raised his hand off Azura's shoulder, much to her displeasure, though she made no mention of it.

"What…kind of nightmares?" he asked cautiously. Nobody knew better than him about Azura's…convoluted past, and _nobody_ knew better than him to not bring up such memories. _Especially_ whenever they were alone.

Azura sighed. "I've been having nightmares. About that day…"

"Oh…"

Corrin sighed and rubbed his head. "Again, Azura, you have to listen to me! "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to attack you like—"

"Oh gods, it's not you at all!" Azura said hurriedly. "It's not you! It's me..."

"You?"

Azura turned to face Corrin squarely and looked up to meet his gaze, his red eyes full of worry and concern. "Corrin," she started gently, though her voice was shaking. "I had a nightmare about you. But this time, it was different. _Everything_ was different."

"Different how?" he breathed.

"You killed Ryoma, you killed Sakura, you killed Takumi…" Corrin appeared sickened at her words. "But the worst part was, when I tried to sing to you, when I tried to calm you down, I…I _died_ ," Azura continued. "I _died_. Takumi, Ryoma, and Sakura _died_ because _I_ died."

"Oh gods," Corrin murmured. "I'm so—"

"I didn't die because of you, I died _because_ of my song."

"Your song? I thought you said your song—"

"—could only hurt me and not kill me," Azura finished hastily, though she felt no small amount of guilt at having to keep the secret from him. "Yes, I know, but don't you ever have a fear that you might die doing something you know shouldn't kill you normally?"

Corrin nodded silently.

"That's what happened in my dream," Azura continued. "I tried to stop you, and I failed. Takumi, Sakura, Ryoma…all of them died in my dream, all because I couldn't stop you." Here, Azura's voice began to thicken. "B-but the worst part is, when I was floating away, where I don't know, I saw _you_."

"M-me?"

Azura nodded and wiped her eyes on the back of her hand. "You," she agreed. "I saw the dragon rampage on, but this time, it wasn't you. You had already died, or become something very close to that, and as I watched, you...you..."

Azura shook her head, unable to continue any further. Corrin automatically rest an arm around her shoulders again. To his surprise, Azura suddenly wrapped the entirety of her body around Corrin's chest, her hair tickling his chin as she buried her face in his chest. After a moment's hesitation, he gently wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her closer to him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I never knew I could be so terrible of—"

"It wasn't you though!" she cried. "That was the problem! You _weren't there!_ You ceased to exist! You died! You never came back! That's the worst part!"

Azura buried her face again in Corrin's chest. "I-it's just…it's just that when I saw you being overwhelmed and losing your humanity, I…I realized something terrible."

"What is it?" Corrin whispered.

Azura leaned back and gazed up at Corrin. "I couldn't bear to lose you like that again," she whispered. "I already lost my mother, and my father. I couldn't stand it if I was to lose you too…"

Corrin immediately understood when she meant by that then. How could he not? Only a fool could've taken that out of context, especially coming from a woman.

"I…I know," he said. "I feel the same way."

Azura's breath hitched in her throat as she looked up at Corrin. Corrin looked away, his long white hair obscuring his eyes, though she could've sworn his ears were blushing pale red in the moonlight. She tried to let that sight please her, but the anguish of the situation demanded otherwise.

"I also had a nightmare tonight," Corrin admitted. "And…and it was also about that day. It was just like you described it. Ryoma was dead. Takumi was dead. Sakura too. But you…you were still alive."

Corrin finally looked at her, and Azura was heartbroken to see the amount of anguish within those red orbs glowing in the night. "You were still alive, except _I_ was holding you there, to the ground."

"Cor—"

"You were _begging_ me to let you live, but I killed you," Corrin finished. " _I_ killed you. I-I—"

Corrin stopped himself before he could go any further. He took a deep breath and sighed.

"Azura," he began. "Are…were you ever afraid of me? Whenever I transform? Did you ever hate me for being part dragon?"

Azura hesitated before answering. This was a particularly sensitive topic between them. After the battle, once they finally managed to settle down in the astral plane, Corrin had ran up to her and begged, _begged_ for her forgiveness.

Despite her never hating or thinking negatively of Corrin because of his actions that day, the bruises that Corrin had inflicted on her neck and throat never truly faded, despite Sakura's healing magic. She had immediately accepted his apologies, despite her telling him that there was no need for him to apologize. Obviously, he hadn't taken this to heart yet.

"N-no," she answered truthfully. "I never hated you for anything. Not when you accidentally called me your 'girlfriend' at that one vendor stall, nor when you snuck up on me when I was bathing, but especially not when you transformed that day."

Of course, she didn't hate Corrin, but that wasn't to say that she wasn't _afraid_ of such a thing happening again. That was part of the reason why she had given Corrin his dragonstone on the spot after his recovery. Partially so that he could control his draconic rampages should it ever happen again, but also partially out of fear. There was no greater terror than being pinned to the ground by a dragon that was once your closest friend and ally.

Azura was no stranger to being backstabbed and betrayed, thanks to spending her childhood in Garon's court, but even the thought of Corrin willingly betraying her shook her to the very core. Corrin was far too caring and gentle for him to kill her. But when he was a dragon…and without a dragonstone…

"Corrin, I won't lie to you, but I admit it. I was scared when you attacked—" Corrin grimaced and turned away, "—but that wasn't _you_ , Corrin. That wasn't the Corrin I know. That was the Corrin that would lash out at anyone who tried to hurt his friends. That was the Corrin that refused to choose either Hoshido or Nohr over the other because the thought of willingly hurt those who were close to him hurts him more than anything else in the world. That's nothing to be ashamed of! It just shows how much you care for other people."

"Still doesn't excuse the fact I attacked and almost killed you," Corrin muttered.

Azura cupped Corrin's cheek in her hand and turned his face towards her. "Maybe, maybe not, but that's not the important par," she said. "The important part was that you managed to calm yourself down afterwards. The mere fact that you were able to break through your rage to listen to my song enough to calm you down says more about you than anything else. You don't have to hate your other form—because gods know I never will. Your human side? That's just who you truly are. Caring, willing to help others, even if you din't know them very well. Your dragon side? That's the part where those feelings of passion and loyalty are strongest. Trust me, it's nothing to be ashamed of."

Corrin still refused to meet her eyes. "You still didn't tell me if you were afraid of me or not."

Azura sighed. "You can be really hopeless sometimes, Corrin." She stood on her tip-toes and leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "I could never be afraid of you," before falling back on the flats of her feet.

"Say it with me," she said. "Being part dragon does not make me a bad person. It just makes me more human."

"…"

"I don't hear you saying it."

"Hmph. Fine. Being part dragon does not make me a bad person. It just makes me more human," Corrin repeated dully.

"Again."

"Being part dragon does not mean I'm a bad guy, it just means I'm more human."

"Again."

"Being part dragon does not make me a bad person. It just makes me more human." This time, the words were much easier to get through, and Corrin could feel a calming sensation spreading throughout his body as Azura's amber eyes gazed at him in the dark. He felt his skin starting to burn as he realized the coolness of Azura's hand against his cheek.

"Thank you, Azura. For…for everything," he said. "I'm sorry you had to see me like this. I know you have enough on your plate to deal with without having to offer me therapy sessions every night."

Azura could only smile at his words. "Don't be. Trust me, talking with you helps me just as much as it helps you. Our fates are intertwined, and without each other, we'll never be able to make it through alive."

Corrin chuckled. "I think you're being just a tad over-dramatic."

Azura laughed as well. "Well, maybe. Maybe I am, maybe I'm not, but trust me when I say that you're one of the most important people in my life right now."

Corrin raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to reply when a guard's rough voice broke through the night.

"Hey! You two! What are you doing?" the guard shouted. "How did you two—" The guard's voice faltered as he realized who he was shouting at.

"Oh! Lord Corrin! Lady Azura! I'm sorry, I didn't know it was—"

"It's fine, Garvin," Corrin sighed, waving a hand dismissively. "We're almost done here. Don't worry, we'll head back inside in a couple of minutes."

"Ah—I see," the guard said awkwardly. "Well, um, you best wrap it up, milord. The night brings with it a chill. How weather works in this gods-forsaken land is beyond me…" Any other words the guards might've muttered into his beard was lost to the night as he walked away.

Corrin turned back to Azura with a mildly exasperated look. "Well, I think this wraps up our therapy session for tonight," he quipped. "We really should head back. Garvin's not the type of man to start gossip, but other sentries might be."

"I suppose," Azura agreed.

Corrin nodded and turned away to trudge back towards the castle when he realized he was still alone. He turned back to see Azura staring back out onto the surface of the lake.

"Um, Azura?"

"I'm fine, Corrin," she replied. "I'm just going to stay out here a couple moments longer. Take a moment to think, you know?"

Corrin nodded. "Well, make sure you don't stay out here too long. It's cold tonight, and we have to organize the army and supplies again tomorrow. We're still in the middle of a war, after all."

Azura smiled and nodded. "Of course, _Lord Corrin_."

Corrin shuddered. "Please, don't ever call me that. We're equals, aren't we? We don't need to be addressing each other by our respective titles, right _Lady Azura_?"

Azura laughed and shooed him away. "Alright, alright. I promise I won't call you by your title again."

Corrin smiled and turned away again, but before he left, he looked over his shoulder at Azura. "Uh, one last thing, Azura."

"Hm?"

"Thank…thanks for the help, Azura. You have no idea how much your words mean to me."

Azura smiled. "Anytime."

Corrin smiled back and walked away, throwing out a farewell wave with his hand as he disappeared into the trees. Azura watched his silvery-white hair fade into the darkness before sighing and turning back to the surface of the lake.

That small dollop of sunlight was still there in her chest, and no matter what she did, she couldn't find the words to name it. It made her happy, but it also made her long for something more, something different. The last time she felt such a way was all the way back in Nohr, when her mother spent their mornings and nights together brushing her long hair.

Azura smiled and shook her head as she headed back to the castle. That feeling will surely name itself in due time, but for now, she had a war to focus on, and a bed to sleep in.

As she fell back onto her cot and drifted off to sleep, she realized in the back of her head that tonight would be the first night where she would be able to sleep peacefully without being plagued with nightmares.

That still didn't mean her hair wouldn't be atrocious in the morning.

* * *

Corrin groaned and pushed open the doorway leading into his treehouse. The treehouse, he remembered, was supposedly to be a unique version of the private quarters built throughout the castle, but Corrin found himself spending more and more nights in his study than in his actual room. That was why he had commissioned Lilith to push a cot into the already cramped and overflowing room.

With a _huff_ , Corrin fell back onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling, his feelings in turmoil. Despite Azura's words, he still felt some level of guilt for attacking her. It always surprised him, albeit in a pleasing way, that despite meeting Azura scarcely less than a couple month's ago, he already trusted her with his deepest secrets, and more importantly, his life.

Part of him wanted to put his arms around her and comfort her, to tell her that everything will be alright, but the other half reminded him of the trauma that she's been through. She wouldn't appreciate the gesture, but despite this, Corrin found himself flipping through the calendar on the wall, before finally resting his finger on the third day of the third month.

Corrin smiled at the tiny scribbles surrounding the number, no doubt Elise's work. That girl could remember everything about someone's birthday. The runes spelling out " _Azura's b-day._ "

 _One day,_ he thought to himself. _One day._

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4

Azura definitely had a strong love-hate relationship with her hair. On one hand, it was fun (and secretly satisfying) to watch the wavy blue mane reach to her ankles, and secretly, she enjoyed the envious looks the other women in the army threw towards her, though said looks were also tempered by pity.

Having hair reaching down to her ankles was no vacation. It was heavy. It took the strength of a dragon to brush it without wincing every few seconds. It took her nearly an hour longer to wash her hair compared to other women's. Sometimes, if she wasn't paying attention, she would trip over her hair while walking up stairs, which required her to bundle up her hair in her arms and carry it down. Thankfully, Corrin, Subaki, and Xander were well aware of her plight, and after having a heated debate over Azura's refusal to cut her hair, arranged her schedule so that she would rarely be forced to climb any long length of stairs, but still left out all the times where Azura would accidentally close the door on her own hair, trapping herself.

The worst part, however, would undoubtedly be its behavior in the mornings. Azura was known for being "neat," but she was also known for heaving the worst cases of bedhead in the mornings. Every morning, without fail, she would wake up with her hair resembling nothing more like a house blown apart by a dragon that didn't like houses. It was infuriating, and exhausting too, since she was forced to get nearly an hour earlier than everyone else to smoothen out her hair.

Today, however, was different. Azura woke in a surprisingly good mood, good enough that even the sight of her hair (which decided to take the appearance of an overly-obese azure hedgehog today) wasn't enough to discourage her. As Azura dressed herself and looked at her form in the mirror, she couldn't help but marvel at the length of her hair, and the toned shape of her legs.

Azura was not one to be vain about her appearance, but the sight of her legs, long, slender, toned, and still as smooth as a baby's face, caused her no small amount of satisfaction. Forgetting where she was, she rolled her shoulders and let out a small purr, before immediately clamping a hand over her mouth as she glanced nervously at the door. Surely, no one had heard her, right?

Once she was done dressing herself, Azura's hand scrabbled over the surface of her night drawer for her brush. As she began the arduous process of yanking out knots, she allowed her mind to wander freely, a rare occurrence, considering their circumstance.

After what felt like an eternity, Azura finally set her brush down back on the night drawer and ritually fastened her trademark habit over her head. Satisfied with her appearance, she gently pushed the door to her room open, fervently hoping that no one would notice, to no avail.

"Good morning, Azura," Ryoma greeted as he stepped outside of his quarters. "Sleep well?"

Azura nodded. "Do…do you know what we're supposed to be doing today?" she asked.

Ryoma adjusted the headgear on his head as he thought for a moment. "Admittedly, no. I haven't had the opportunity to check the roster for today yet, but I overheard Xander say that he supposedly to have a meeting with you, me, and Corrin later today."

"Today?" Azura asked. "What's the meeting for?"

"I don't know," Ryoma replied. "All I know is that we have a meeting later today. Where are you heading off to?"

Azura rubbed her stomach. "Well, I wasn't really hungry this morning, so I thought I would just take a look at the roster for today and get started with whatever's first." The moment she finished, her stomach let out an enormous growl.

Azura and Ryoma both looked down at her stomach in surprise. "Not hungry, huh?" Ryoma teased.

Azura shook her head. "I'm sure it's—"

"You're coming with me, Azura," Ryoma said as he turned and trudged down the hallway towards the mess hall. "You can always deal with your social anxiety later."

"B-but that's…not how it works…" she muttered before she begrudgingly followed the red figure down the hallway.

Azura had been hoping to sneak past the gargantuan line of waiting soldiers to peek at today's schedule, but unfortunately, she felt a pair of hands wrapping themselves around her waist.

"Hi big sis!" Elise chirped, her voice muffled by Azura's hair and back. "Where've you been hiding? Me and Sakura've been looking for you forever!"

Azura looked behind her to see Elise burying her face in Azura's back while Sakura smiled back at her, her face red with embarrassment.

"Elise! You're embarrassing us!" Sakura whispered. "C-can't we do this somewhere else?"

"Hello Elise. Hello Sakura," Azura greeted. "What can I do for you?"

Elise giggled. "Well, I was sort of hoping you could sit with us today for breakfast."

Azura frowned. "…Me? With…you?" she said slowly.

Elise nodded. "Of course, you big dummy! I want to learn more about you! Xander, Leo, and Camilla always say that you're really nice and awesome and you seem really nice and awesome, so I wanted to just we can get to know each other better!"

"T-that's very nice, Elise, but I have to—"

"Plus, Corrin also says that sometimes, even though you're really cute and pretty and beautiful, you look so sad all the time, and so I wanted to cheer you up instead of him this time!"

Azura's brain fizzled out at what Elise just said. "He…he really said that about me?"

"Yeah! And he's right!" Elise replied excitedly. "You really are pretty and beautiful and sad sometimes! I mean, like, look at your hair!" She gently held up a few strands of Azura's hair and began to absentmindedly braid it. "Like, you would look so pretty in a braid and…and—"

"That's all very nice, Elise," Azura said, "But unfortunately, I'm very busy today. I…have a lot of things to do today!" she lied. "Like…er, um, cleaning the polearms! And…and working in the accessory shop."

Elise pouted. "You're lying!" she said, jabbing a finger in Azura's side, causing her to yelp and flex away. "I just checked your schedule for you, and all it says you have to do today is attend a meeting with Ryoma, my brother, and Corrin later! Plus, you don't even like the accessory shop! The only way you could ever work in the accessory shop was if you signed up for it, but since you hate it, why would you ever work there?"

Azura sighed in defeat. "Alright, you caught me. I'll…sit with you for today."

"Yay!" Elise jumped up in down in excitement, causing Azura to yelp again as she tried to keep her balance. "I'll grab us a seat! Just get your food!"

And with that, she bounded away towards a, thankfully, relatively empty table. Azura sighs as someone forces a tray into her hand. She wanders over to the self-serve section of the mess hall and dejectedly plops a bowl of porridge onto her tray, grabs a small bag of strawberries, grabs a spoon, and makes her way over to where Elise and Sakura were already sitting and talking animatedly.

"S-so?" Sakura sputters, nearly choking on a few specks of rice. "J-just because I say h-hi to him doesn't mean I l-like him in that way!"

Elise rolls her eyes. "Oh please, we both know you totally have a thing for Leo!"

"W-well, what about Azura? You always m-make fun of me for 'liking L-leo,' so how come you don't m-make fun of A-Azura?"

Azura froze, her spoon halfway to her mouth. "What?"

Elise bounces in her seat excitedly. "Oh yeah! So basically, Sakura and I were talking about who we like, and apparently, Sakura says she doesn't like Leo that way, but I disagree. I mean, wouldn't you like Leo if you weren't always so sad?"

"I am not sad," Azura said flatly. "I simply have a lot of—"

"Plus," Elise continued, ignoring Azura's statement. "I think Leo and Sakura would be a perfect fit together! I mean, didn't Leo ask you to go with him to a war council meeting a couple days ago? I mean…"

All this and more was lost to Azura as she allowed her mind to wander, bored and mildly exasperated at Elise's barrage of words. It wasn't she hated her, she loved her very much indeed, but it was simply that Elise…well, has no real understanding of introverted natures.

"W-what about you, A-Azura?"

Azura snaps back to attention. "What's going on? What'd you need?"

Elise rolled her eyes. "Weren't you paying attention? We were talking about what we see in our future husbands! Like, Sakura said—"

"—no! Please don't tell her!" Sakura squealed.

"—that she really enjoyed how Leo leaves ink marks on her skin whenever he shakes her hand, and how she loves the way how Leo's eyes light up whenever he sees a tomato, but that's not important. What do you see in your future husband? Hmmm?"

Azura doesn't like such invasions of privacy, but all the same, she shrugs. "I-I don't know. I'm not really interested in anyone right now, especially because of the war."

Sakura blushes. "T-that's not true," she murmurs. "You a-always spend a lot of time with b-big brother a-and—"

"—I don't see how that's relevant!" she snaps back, her composure snapping for once. Sakura blinks and cowers backward. Azura grimaced and placatingly rests her hand over Sakura's.

"Please, forgive me, Sakura. I didn't mean to snap at you like that."

"I-it's fine," she replies. "I-I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable…"

"Well, that's no fun!" Elise exclaims, oblivious to the lapse in tone between the two. "You really don't like anyone?

"No."

"Are you lying to us right now?"

"…No."

"But are you sure you don't like anyone?"

"Very sure."

"Does big brother know that you like someone?"

"No—" Azura caught herself just in time. "I do not like anyone right now!" she said.

"Fine then!" Elise insisted. "Well, if you had to marry anyone in the army, who would it be?"

"I don't—"

It was at the exact moment when the doors to the mess hall bursts open, and Corrin comes inside, followed by Silas and Camilla. Corrin and Silas both looked sweaty, panting slightly as Camilla tried to wrap a towel around the two of them, much to Silas' embarrassment and Corrin's displeasure. Azura's eyes instantly snapped up to the trio, more specifically Corrin, and felt her heart skip a beat as that dollop of sunlight bloomed inside her again.

"Can you…can you just get off me for a second, Camilla?" Azura hears him say. "I'm fine! It's just a practice session. I'll be fine."

"Aw…are you sure? That bruise doesn't look too good…"

"I'm fine!"

"You sure?" Silas cackles. "I thought I heard you say that you wanted to rest your head in Camilla's lap."

Camilla's eyes lit up. "Oh really? Did you want to spend some...quality time with your sister?"

"N-no! No! Silas! Help! Ack!"

Azura giggled, amused by the normally calm and laid-back's prince's look of flustered panic as he desperately tried to fend off Camilla with a single hand while Silas stood back, leaning on the counter, wheezing with laughter.

Elise frowns as she looks from her to Corrin, and then back again. She grins.

"Oooooh, Azura!" she says in a sing-song voice. "I'm going to tell—"

"Don't you even dare!" Azura squeaked as she grabbed Elise's shoulder and forces her down into her seat. Both Elise and Sakura giggle at Azura's uncharacteristically flustered expression.

She sighs as she sits back down and claps her hands together on the table in front of her. "Fine," she said. "I…may or may not have an interest in Corrin."

"B-but why?" Sakura asks. "N-not that I'm saying he's bad, b-but why?"

Azura closes her eyes. "It's a long story, so please listen to me, alright? I would very much like it if no one else knew about this."

Elise held her pinky out towards Azura. "I pinky promise!"

"Er, y-yeah! I promise too!," Sakura chimed in.

Azura sighed. This would be embarrassing beyond belief, but that drop of sunlight was still present in her body.

"It all started when he snuck up on me at the lake, in Hoshido…"

* * *

Corrin groaned and leaned back in his chair as he tossed aside another pile of reports. An hour ago, it had been about the lack of sufficient cavalry swords for the Nohrian cavalry. Now, it was the lack of naginatas for the Hoshidan pikemen. Life was all a game of checks and balances.

Corrin didn't even bother looking up as he heard a knock at his door. "Come in!" he called.

The study door slowly opened to reveal Azura, Ryoma, and Xander standing behind it. Corrin glanced up and felt his heart lurch at the sight of Azura peeking out from behind Ryoma.

"We had a meeting today?" Xander said as he walked into the room and gently pulled out a chair for Ryoma, Azura, and himself.

Corrin nodded.

"What's the meeting about then?" Ryoma asked. "I was hoping to make a trip back into our world to make sure the rest of the Hoshidan army that you wanted me to call on hasn't killed any Nohrians yet."

"I'm sure Yukimura can take care of them for another few days without you breathing down his neck," Corrin said, finally setting aside his quill and paper as he looked up at the three. "That brings me to our next point, funnily enough."

"What is it?" Xander asked.

"I don't if you know this or not, but I recently received a report of a series of murders. There were four murders, all four of them officers. Two from Hoshido, and the rest of Nohr."

Xander frowned. "Yes, I'm aware of it. We're still launching an investigation as we speak. Why is this—"

"What's interesting is how all of those officers held the other side in a…relatively temperate view," Corrin explained. "None of those officers hated the other side, and all of them only fought against each other simply because they had too."

"I promise, Corrin, that we'll find the culprits. Might—"

"That's not what I was asking for," Corrin interrupted gently. "Kaze and Jakob have already found those responsible, and are currently holding them in the prison even as we speak. The only problem is…I can't execute them."

"Why not?" Xander asked.

Corrin rubbed his eyes. "I can't execute them because then there would be an uproar. As much as I hate it, and as much as you two feel about me, to the Nohrians, I'm a traitor for refusing to destroy Hoshido. To the Hoshidans, I'm a traitor because I was one of the sole survivors of the assassination on my mother's death. You see the problem here?"

The crinkle on Xander's forehead deepened. "You can't execute them because…"

"…people might think you're starting to see yourself as a judge." Ryoma finished.

Corrin snapped his fingers. "Exactly. That's why I'm asking you two to do it for me."

"U-us two?" Xander asked. "But I thought you were—"

"I know. I'm the one responsible for leading our armies to victory against Va—er, our hidden enemy, but the only reason both armies follow me at all right now is because I have you two supporting me. I'm positive that if you two weren't here, there would've been an all-out battle raging in our castle right now. We need to convince both sides that I'm impartial, and that I don't support one side over the other."

Ryoma nodded. "I see. That makes sense. If you truly believe this is the best way of handling such a situation, then I suppose we have no choice."

Xander crossed his arms. "Well, you are the one leading us, which means you can afford to ignore my reasoning if you want," he agreed, "But allow me to ask one question: what is this common enemy you and Azura always speak of? Our armies have been gathering here and at The Bottomless Canyon for nearly a month now, and yet you still refuse to tell us the name of our enemy."

Corrin faltered, and this was where Azura decided to step in. "Do you trust Corrin?" she asked.

Xander frowned. "O-of course! Why wouldn't—"

"Then trust him when he says that he'll tell you everything in due course."

"Our enemy works best in secret," Corrin elaborated. "The enemy has planted spies everywhere. If word of our plan was to get out to them, they would be able to stop this whole war right now, that's how threatening it can be. I'm sorry, Xander. I'm sorry, Ryoma, but until we're both absolutely positive that we're ready to share the information, you'll just have to work under the context that there is a hidden enemy that is intent on destroying the kingdoms of both Hoshido and Nohr."

Xander sighed. "Secretive as always, you two," he said, shaking his head. "Very well, if you deign not to share any information with us, so be it. All I ask for is that you two will let us know what's going on once you feel like you're ready to tell us everything."

"Likewise," Ryoma rumbled.

"I will, Xander," Corrin promised. "Meeting adjourned!"

Xander and Ryoma both stood up and pushed in their chairs as they left the room, murmuring to each other as they closed the door behind them. Azura sighed and stood up, only to sit back down on Corrin's desk. He glanced up at her.

"What do you need?" he asked.

Azura shrugged. "Oh, nothing much. You sounded…very professional back there, did you know?"

"Did I now?" Corrin replied in a dull tone. "Well, I am the leader of one of the world's most fragile alliances. I mean, if the alliance between Hoshido and Nohr was any weaker, I could've just dropped my dragonstone on it and it would shatter."

Azura chuckled and peered over Corrin's shoulder. "What're you looking at?"

Corrin sighed. "Oh, just your usual complaints of Hoshidans being too Hoshidan by the Nohrians, and the Nohrians being too Nohrian by the Hoshidans."

"Sounds…fun," she said.

"Uh-huh."

Silence passed between the two of them until Azura broke the silence by asking, "If you want, I could do the paperwork for you."

Corrin shook his head. "No, it's fine. I'm sorry Azura, but you're not exactly a people person." He glanced up at her, a glint in his eye. "You're shy. You're blunt. And you spend too much time just staring at the person without breaking eye contact than actually talking to people."

Corrin's eye twitched in annoyance as he read a particularly infuriating report. "Ergh! I hate all this paper work!" he growled.

Azura tilted her head. "Well, I did ask if you wanted to switch with me, but you said no."

Corrin broke down into fake sobs as he rested his head in his arms. "I swear," he said, his voice muffled. "If I had to choose between doing this kind of paperwork for the rest of my life, or have to fend off another one of Anankos' invasion on this castle, I would choose the invasion. Every. Single. Time."

Azura laughed again. "Come on, you," she quipped. "The sooner you get this over with, the sooner you can relax."

"I can't though, that's the problem!" a single red eye peeked out at her from between his arm's shadows. "Everyday, there's just so many reports and paper works and issues about the most trivial of things! How do people even do this for a living?"

"Well, most of the time, they usually have multiple people working with them, so they're not overwhelmed," Azura explained.

"Sounds nice," Corrin grumbled. "Whatever, I'm going to take a quick nap. Gods know how many hours of sleep I'll get this time."

Azura laughed, though it was more of a pity laugh than an actual laugh. It was well-known around the army that Corrin spent many nights without sleeping due to the amount of work and stress both Hoshido and Nohr caused him. Ironically, it was because of his lack of sleep that caused Nohr and Hoshido to behave as well as they did.

Despite neither side particularly liking Corrin very much, both respected Corrin for refusing to choose between his family, and there were a few groups here and there that actually did like Corrin, courtesy of his charming and laid-back nature, and as such, the Hoshidans and Nohrians treated each other as civilly as possible, if only to prevent Corrin from doing extra work.

Azura patted Corrin on the shoulder. "It's going to be alright, Corrin."

"Mmph…"

"Do you want me to sing you a lullaby, to help you sleep?"

"I'm not actually going to sleep. I just wanted to rest my eyes for a bit."

"Well, do you?"

Corrin glared at her again. "If you ask me if I want to rest my head on your lap…"

Azura laughed again. "Don't worry. I won't."

"Hmph."

Azura looked over Corrin as he rested his head in his arms. She was tempted to reach out to stroke his hair, but thought against it. Corrin, despite his laid-back nature, was not one who enjoyed being fondled like a pet.

"Hey, Azura?"

"Hm?"

"About last night…"

Azura bit her lip. "What about it?"

Corrin sighed. "I was thinking about how we always talked about those kinds of things when we're alone together, and I was just wanted to apologize for how awkward it must've been for you."

Azura frowned. "What do you mean?"

Corrin sat up and looked at Azura. "Well, I mean, you sort of hugged me, and then I hugged you back, and then—"

"Sh…" Azura leaned over to place a finger on Corrin's lips. "Remember what I said about me helping you helps me just as much as it helps you?"

Corrin nodded.

"Well, so does hugging you, somehow."

Corrin's eyes widened and he opened his lips to say something, but a sudden explosion suddenly shook the castle, causing some of the paper work on Corrin's desk to flutter to the floor.

"Oh come on!" he complained as the two of them jumped to their feet.

"What's going on?" he asked, as another explosion shook the castle, causing Azura to stumble backwards and fall into a pile of books beside the desk.

"Oh! Sorry!" she apologized.

Corrin waved her apology away. "It's fine." He strode over to the armor stand where Yato was leaning against it and buckled the weapon to his belt. At the exact same time, Kaze stepped out from behind the armor stand, casting a furtive glance at Azura out the corner of his eye.

"Kaze, what's going on?" Corrin asked.

"Milord, a portal has appeared on the castle grounds. A vanguard of those invisible soldiers and Faceless are swarming into the courtyard," Kaze reported.

"What? Here?" Corrin exclaimed. "But that's impossible! Lilith would've never let anyone besides us into the astral plane!"

"Impossible or not, milord, we have a horde of enemies swarming into the castle, and our current numbers won't be able to stem them for long."

Corrin scowled and rubbed his eyes. "All of the times I asked for a choice between paperwork and fighting," he muttered.

He ran over to the balcony to take in sight of the Vallites and Faceless sweeping aside and killing off anyone unfortunate enough to be in the courtyard at this time. "Kaze," he called.

The ninja instantly snapped to attention. "Yes, milord?"

"Relay this message to Xander, Ryoma, and the rest of my siblings. Get all the women and the children away from the courtyard, and have what guards stationed in the area to close off any entrances or doorways to other parts of the castle, while leaving the entrance to the main hall open. We have to keep them contained in the courtyard. If there's any other doorways open in that courtyard, they'll take them and use them to spread themselves throughout the castle. Once that happens, there's no way we'll be able to destroy the portal and defend the rest of the castle at the same time."

"Of course, milord," Kaze said.

"Another thing, if you find Ryoma or Xander, tell them to arrange their spearmen and pikemen into a wedge-shaped formation, with shieldbearers to the sides. That should be able to buy us sometime until the rest of the castle is in high alert."

"Of course, by your command," Kaze said before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Corrin nervously rubbed his dragonstone as he rested his hands on the balcony.

"What're you planning to do?" Azura asked.

"I'm going to transform and glide down there," Corrin said. "If I can get down there fast enough, I can help stop the flow of Va—enemies and Faceless."

"What about me?"

Corrin glanced towards her. "That depends. Do you want to stay up here, where it's relatively safe, or do you want to ride me down to the courtyard, so that you can help me fight?"

Azura pursed her lips. Sure, she could fight, but never something on this scale. She can handle herself in a small skirmish, but a full-blown battle? That was out of the question. Yet, there was something about sitting idly in a safe room twiddling her thumbs while Corrin and the rest of her siblings fought for their lives that made her blood boil. It wasn't right.

"What do you think?" she responded. "Just let me go grab my naginata from the armory."

"No time," he said. "You could try picking a weapon up off the ground, if you need to."

Azura sighed. "Very well then. If you insist. Are you ready?"

Corrin flashed a quick grin. "Of course I am. Question is: are you?"

Corrin pulled his dragonstone out from under his armor, grasped it tightly in one hand, and willed himself to partially transform. A flash of light temporarily blinded Azura as a dragon's head appeared on Corrin's shoulders. Platinum wings slowly unfurled themselves from his back and draped themselves over the edge of the balcony.

He turned his back towards her and knelt. "Hop on," he said, his voice mildly distorted by a metallic sheen.

Azura nodded and lifted up the hem of her dress, to make it easier for her to climb onto Corrin as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Despite the situation, she felt a pleasure in the way Corrin's strong hands grasped the underside of her legs as he stood back up, grunting slightly with the effort.

"Ready?" he asked.

Azura nodded. "Ready."

And with that, Corrin spread his wings, pumped his legs, and jumped high into the air, accompanied by the splash of water that appeared whenever he transformed. The two were silent as they glided over the sound of combat, Corrin, calm and collected, and Azura, holding onto Corrin for dear life as the sounds of clanging metal and screaming men reached their ears.


	5. Chapter 5

"Corrin! Look!" Azura shouted as she risked letting go of Corrin's neck with one arm as she pointed down to the brawl underneath them. "Over there! By the armory!"

Corrin turned his head to see—or rather _sense_ —the silhouette of a familiar gray-haired cavalier fighting in front the small, low, gray-stoned building alongside a mix of pikemen and spearmen huddling around the armory entrance behind the wall of shields that the shield bearers had managed to set up. The spearmen and pikemen stabbed frantically into the sea of writhing purple bodies mass gathering beyond the fragile perimeter they had set out around the entrance to the armory. Silas was in the front, simultaneously both weathering the worst of the attacks and commanding the men around him to while also fending off the brunt of the Vallites' assault,

"Strengthen that left flank!" Silas shouted, pointing with his javelin. "We're almost thr—"

The cavalier glimpsed out the corner of his eye a flash of light, and he looked up to see Corrin, partially transformed, and Azura, who was hanging onto his neck, gliding toward towards the courtyard-turned-battlefield. He grinned and waved his hands over his head in an attempt to catch his liege's attention.

"Corrin! Milord! Down here!"

Silas scowled as a flash of steel nicked his calf, drawing blood.. He inwardly cursed himself for his lapse in attention as his charger, upon catching the scent of its master's blood, reared ferociously, bringing its hooves down on the invader's shield, which barely managed to snap up just in time to catch the flinging hooves, leaving a noticeable dent in the wood. As his charger reared again to batter the shield, Silas drew his arm back and thrust his weapon forward at the exact moment the horse brought its front hooves down.

The invader stumbled, slack-jawed as he peered down at the javelin protruding out of his abdomen before crumpling to his knees and falling forward silently. Silas allowed himself a self-congratulatory smirk before cursing as one of the shield-bearers next to him fell with a scream, the edge of a broken sword embedded in his shoulder.

Silas watched in slow-motion as the man fell backward, the other shield bearers around him blanching as they watched their fellow solider fall silently to the ground. In an instant, the tide shifted.

When combined with either archers or soldiers who chose to wield longer-ranged weapons, a holdout comprised of a semicircle of shield bears with said archers or soldiers would be very difficult to penetrate indeed—but only if the shield line remained intact.

The instant the soldier's back sank into the blood-soaked ground, the invaders, sensing an advantage, surged forward, swiping aside the rest of the shield bearers and stabbing indiscriminately into the crowd of spearmen and pikemen, whose weapons were nearly useless in such close quarters. Silas' javelin instantly buried itself in the head of an axe-wielding invader before being torn out of his hands and snapped in half by a Faceless.

The beast roared, and Silas' horse skittered backwards nervously. He swore as he gazed up at the hulking beast before him. He cast a quick glance around himself. Most of the shield bearers and spearmen were already dead, and those who weren't had hastily retreated inside the armory, trying to barricade themselves in. Only a few remained outside with him, their age and scars signifying their experience and loyalty. Inwardly, Silas cursed those cowering inside, but outwardly, drew his sword and waved it over his head.

"Stay strong!" he roared. "Kill these invaders, so that others might live!"

The four or so men roared their approval and charged forward, only to be cut down by the storm of blades stabbing towards them. Silas narrowed his eyes as his sword flashed once. Twice. Then Again.

And then an armored fist collided with his chest, throwing him off his horse and against the wall of the armory, where he slid silently to the ground, a trickle of blood running down his nose.

"No!" Azura screamed.

"Hold on!" Corrin voice echoed. He tucked his wings closer to his body and tipped into a steep dive, hurtling towards the low, gray-stoned building.

Azura ducked her head against the blast of wind that tore at her face. The world spun around her as Corrin rolled to his right, narrowly avoiding a duel between a Pegasus knight and a wyvern.

Corrin landed with a jarring _boom_ , a veritable tsunami of earth, bodies, and water cascading out from beneath his landing point, tossing aside invaders and corpses alike, as Azura nimbly leapt off his back.

She cast her eyes around the area for a naginata, but to her frustration, there was no signs or glimpses of the Hoshidan-style polearm. Either it had been blown away by Corrin's explosive landing, or was buried underneath the sea of bodies. Azura sighed and mentally resigned herself to having to use a sword, when a horse suddenly neighed behind her.

"Lady Azura!" Gunter called. As he rode towards her, Azura noted in the back of her mind his armor's near spot-less condition. Despite knowing that he had probably been one of the first to defend the courtyard, his armor still gleamed, the onyx-colored plates reflecting the carnage around them.

He tossed Azura a golden naginata— _her_ golden naginata. "I think you were looking for this?"

Azura caught the weapon with an outstretched hand, her face remaining impassively blank, though her eyes showed confusion and relief. "How…how did you know I was—"

"Don't worry too hard about it, milady," Gunter replied, waving the question aside as if it were no more than a pesky fly. He turned towards Corrin, who was helping Silas struggle to his feet.

"Milord. Lord Ryoma and Lord Xa—"

"Give us a moment, Gunter, will you?" Corrin asked. "We need to make sure the armory is secure and that everyone here is alright."

Gunter frowned. "But milo—"

Corrin turned away and gently set Silas down against the wall. He wiped his nose with the back of his hand and glance dup at the half-dragon.

"Are you alright?" Corrin asked. "What happened?

Silas coughed. "It all happened so quickly," he muttered. "One minute I was training a batch of recruits, the next, they just _appeared_ out of that…that _thing_." He pointed towards a swirling purple portal floating in mid air, in front of Lilith's shrine. In the distance, Corrin could barely make out some of Yukimara's puppets defending the dragon's shrine, as golden eyes gleamed with concern from within. As they watched, another group of invaders and Faceless emerged out of the portal and barreled towards them.

Corrin bit his lip. Most of the lesser foot soldiers in the courtyard were already dead, or were too wounded to fight. Unless they destroyed or found some way to stop the flow of Vallites, the castle would be soon overrun.

Before Corrin could do so much as unsheathe Yato, the sky around them darkened, and Corrin felt his hair stand on end as a wave of lightning bolts cut a swath through the group of enemies, reducing them to ash.

"Always wanted to test out my _Thorin_ spell," came Leo's voice from behind them. "Never knew it could be so effective against enemies wearing armor."

Azura, Gunter, and Corrin all turned and sighed in relief as they saw Leo on his horse trotting confidently towards them, with easily over a hundred Nohrian soldiers at his side. Felicia, Elise, and Sakura walked besides the charger, and upon seeing the wounded Silas leaning against the wall, immediately broke off from the formation and headed towards him, pulling out healing staves and rods in the process. So focused were they, that neither Sakura nor Elise noticed the little handwave Corrin threw in their direction. Felicia, however, ordered the men still hiding within the armory to "get their butts out of there," and to help her set up a medical triage, barely even sparing a glance towards Corrin. Nonplussed, Corrin waved towards Leo.

"Leo!" Corrin called. "I'm so glad you could join the fight!"

"Oh, yeah, _suuure_ ," came another, equally scathing reply. "Say hi to the Nohrian dressed in all black amid a crowd of black-wearing soldiers, but ignore the Hoshidan prince who's _literally_ standing next to him wearing all blue and white."

"Greetings, Takumi," was Corrin's stiff reply. Despite Corrin publicly stating that he loved all his siblings, his relationship with Takumi so far into the war was definitely something that could be used to disprove that statement.

Takumi had never liked Corrin, due to him feeling as if he had stolen his "place" of being Hoshido's second prince, despite Corrin, Ryoma, Azura, and his retainers telling him otherwise. Corrin, while remaining as courteous and polite as he could, obviously disdained and distasted the hostility towards him, and so "conversations" between the two princes rarely traversed past simple, curt statements.

"I mean, how could you? I was the _only_ one who—"

"In fairness, Takumi," Azura interrupted. "Leo _was_ sitting on top of his horse, and you _were_ sort of hiding behind another soldier, so it's justified that Corrin didn't see you at first."

Takumi sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Well—er, yeah…I guess that makes a lot more sense in hindsight," he muttered. For whatever reason, despite him not liking Corrin based solely on the fact that he was basically considered all but a foreigner upon his return to Hoshido, Takumi rarely talked to Azura in the same way he talked to Corrin.

"Corrin. Tell me, what was the enemy's position when you leapt so recklessly out of your tower?" Leo asked. "Where were their defensive lines set up? Where were their forces congealing the most and where did they head off to?"

Corrin blinked. "I—er, what?"

Leo rolled his eyes. "As expected. I really don't know why I bother helping you, if you can't even help yourself."

"T-that's not fair, Leo!" Corrin protested. "Kaze told me that we were under attack, and all I had time for was to grab Yato, grab Azura, and jump down from my study! If I hadn't jumped out like that, Silas would've been killed!" To accentuate his point, his gestured towards Silas, who was being fussed over by Sakura and Flore.

Leo rolled his eyes. "Excuses, excuses."

"You call saving Si—"

"Nevertheless, such behavior is to be expected from one as caring as you, saving your best friend's life. So I guess this time, I'll help you out."

Leo dismounted his horse and strode over to Corrin, pulling out a piece of parchment while ordering to the soldiers, "Half of you, form a defensive line around me. The rest of you, defend the northern flank. Let nothing through, or else consider yourself lucky if the invaders get to you first before I do."

As one, the Nohrian vanguard snapped a salute, shouting, "As you wish, milord," before separating off to their assigned roles, leaving only Takumi standing rather awkwardly in the space which was once occupied by a crowd. Shifting uneasily, he reluctantly strode over to the rest of them, shooting a glare at Corrin in the process. In return, Corrin gave him a _are you kidding me? We're in the middle of a battle!_ look, before returning his gaze to Leo.

The Nohrian prince unfolded the parchment and spread it across a shield that he had pulled under it. The map contained four large squares, surrounded by a thick, black line. Within each of the four squares were four smaller squares, each labeled with Xander's near-perfect handwriting. Leo pointed to the square labeled as _armory_.

"This, obviously, is the armory. It is the same armory we're standing in front right now. Flore, Sakura, and Elise are going to set up a medical triage _here_." A circle with a red cross in it appeared next to the _armory_ box.

"Xander and Camilla are leading the rest of the Nohrian garrison in the northern flan, even as Lord Ryoma and Lady Hinoka are defending the southern flank. We're assuming the invader's purpose for attacking are either to inflict as much damage on our infrastructure as they can, or to use the distraction to sneak a few assassins or troops in to assassinate key members of our army. Obviously, since everyone of royal blood is down here, we can somewhat eliminate that option. Granted, said royals may still die in battle, but the chances of them dying by an assassin's blade compared to them dying by a random soldier's is roughly the same, so we can chalk the numbers up to be about the same. Either way, by preventing the enemy from moving beyond the perimeter of the courtyard, it should put an end to whatever plans they might've thought to carry out. Do you understand?"

"Uh…"

Leo sighed in exasperation and rolled his eyes again. "Of course. What was I expecting from the man that was supposed to lead the combined armies of Nohr and Hoshido?" He snapped his fingers, a sries of complicated circles and words appeared on the page.

"See this?" he pointed a circle labeld _C+A._ "That's you and Azura. See that?" This time, he pointed to an oval labelled _R + HArmy._

"'HArmy?' What is that supposed to—"

"It stands for 'Hoshidan Army,' alright? Now pay attention!" Leo snapped. He pointed yet another circle, this time labeled as _X + NArmy._

"As you can see, this map is a map of the castle courtyard. The big squares represent the quadrants the courtyard is naturally divided into, and the smaller squares represent the buildings, such as the armory and shrine. Lord Ryoma and his vanguard are busy defending our south flank, while Xander and his army is defending the northern flank. _You_ —" he jabbed a finger into Corrin's shoulder, "—will remain here, in the center. While Xander and Lord Ryoma defend the flanks, you and whatever soldiers remain will defend the center. Got it?"

"What about that circle with the red cross on it?" Corrin asked, pointing to the mentioned-shape.

"That's the medical triage. Elise, Sakura, Felicia, Jakob, and Flora will be stationed there. Any wounded soldiers will retreat from the fighting to regroup here, which means you have the most important job of them all: defending the medical triage. Don't mess up."

"Are you sure _Corrin_ is going to be able to handle it?" Takumi asked. "I mean, wouldn't it be a lot easier if _I_ was the one to hold the position?"

"That's because you _are_ , Prince Takumi," Leo replied. He pointed to Corrin's treehouse. "You'll climb up to Corrin's treehouse, and from there, you'll snipe down any enemies who break past the lines, as well any airborne targets giving our men trouble."

Takumi wrinkled his noise. "But why Corrin's treehouse? Couldn't I do the same from, I don't the castle battlements?"

Leo facepalmed. "Because Corrin's treehouse is the only place in this whole castle where you can have a clear line of sight to all three flanks. If you snipe from the castle battlements, the opposite side will be too far away for you to accurately hit your targets."

Leo lifted a finger as Takumi opened his mouth to retort an explosive sentence. "Not saying that you _aren't_ able to hit targets from such a distance, but because you can't. At that distance, you might as well be shooting into a crowd of black and white sheep and hoping you'll get a pink one. It'll be too difficult—er, _impossible,_ for one, even as skilled as you, to shoot from such a distance without accidently killing one of our own.

Takumi nodded begrudgingly. "I…guess that makes sense now that I think about it?"

Azura coughed meekly into her hand. "What about me?" she asked. "What can I do?"

"You can stay with me," Corrin said.

"W-with you?" Azura asked. "B-but wouldn't I be more useful helping the healers? M-my naginata isn't really meant for this kind of fighting and—"

Corrin rested his hand on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Trust me, I know logically, you would probably be a lot safer if you were to stay in the back, but in the heat of battle, I would have no one else other than you at my side."

"But…"

"But nothing. I want you to fight beside me, and nothing is going to make me change my mind, alright? I know you're not happy with this, but would you really be happier if I was to order you to the back of the battle, away from harm?"

Azura begrudgingly shook her head. Corrin smiled and clapped her shoulder. "Alright then, I guess," she sighed. She quickly gave him a small embrace. "Stay safe, will you? If not for your sake, but at least for mine?"

Corrin grinned, the tips of his ears turning a light shade of red. He pulled out his dragonstone necklace and tapped the glowing blue stone. "Hey, don't worry about me. I'm half dragon, remember?"

The words were barely past his lips before he clenched the dragonstone in his hands. With a flash of light, his head was replaced by its draconic counterpart, and his left arm transitioned into a wicked-looking scythe-like weapon. He turned his head towards her, nodded once, before flinging himself towards a group of Vallites charging towards a group of panicked swordsmen.

Azura let her smile linger on her face too long, however, and Leo snapped his finger in front of her nose. She blinked, startled.

"What?"

"Uh, we're still in the middle of a battle, you know. Fight now, share smiles later, alright? And besides, once this is all over, _then_ you two can resume whatever lovemaking you were doing." For whatever reason, Leo cast an uncharacteristically nervous glance towards Takumi, who had pretended to be cleaning Fujin Yumi when Corrin had started talking to Azura.

Azura frowned, the implications of what Leo just said crashing down upon her. "W-wait, what do you mean 'lovemaking?'"

Too late. Leo had already turned away with a flourish of his cape and had clambered back onto his horse to ride it back into the fray. Azura sighed again and clasped her pendant in her hand as she glimpsed what appeared to be a dragon goring and tossing a Faceless around as if it weighed as much as an infant.

"Stay safe, Corrin."

* * *

Arrows bounced off of Corrin's chest as he reared and slammed his front paws down onto the two unfortunate Vallite archers in front of him. Where his paws made contact with the earth, a geyser of water shot out.

He spun around and caught a Faceless with his antler-horns, throwing the creature up and over the wall, roaring as it fell. Corrin looked around. All around him, he smelled blood, and fear, and metal. He bowed his head instinctively to cover his eyes, or rather _lack_ of, as arrows fell towards him. Corrin was very well aware of the fact how none of these arrows would ever even have a chance of piercing his scales. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Behind him, he sensed the outline of Silas riding up to him, his lance in his right hand and a sword in the left as he viciously slashed down any enemies who stood between him and Corrin. Besides Silas, Corrin also sensed the presence of Kaze.

He could never see Kaze's outline, even in his draconic form, but he always somehow _knew_ whether or not Kaze was present or not . Corrin pushed the notion of asking Kaze about it to the back of his mind as he acknowledged the two of them by looking at them and bowing his head.

"Corrin! If you can hear me, we need to destroy the portal!" Silas shouted.

"Leo theorized that if we could buy him enough time, he would be able to devise a spell that could shut the portal down, thus ending the attack" Kaze added.

Kaze and Silas were brave men indeed. Not many people would be willing to ride up to a dragon, especially if said dragon was covered in the blood and gore of its enemies. Corrin transformed back into his human form as to allow easier communication.

He could talk to them using his telepathy-sense-thing, but Lilith had warned that a human's minds were more fragile than that of a dragon, and would pose the risk of mentally damaging them if the force of his message was too strong.

Pushing himself off the ground, he nodded and replied, "Rally the men and see if you two can give Leo the time and space he needs!"

Silas and Kaze nodded. The gray-haired cavalier turned his horse around and galloped towards the edge of the battlefield to round up and rally the soldiers. Kaze turned around and disappeared, no doubt to relay the plan to Leo.

Corrin saw in the edge of his vision a Vallite berserker sprinting towards him, a double-edged battleaxe raised high above its head. Corrin tore Yato from its sheath as he slashed the berserker across the hip, nearly cutting him in twain.

Letting out a grim smile, Corrin made his way over to the next enemy, and the next, and the next. This was definitely going to be interesting.

* * *

Azura sighed again as she sat on the ground in front of the triage, looking over the battlefield. The ends of her hair were covered in dirt and blood, and blood flowed gently from a cut on her upper-left arm where a Vallite berserker had gouged her with an axe while turning about. Despite her feelings of exhaustion, and her many nicks and cuts, she knew she was lucky to have fared as well as she did.

The battle was going poorly, for both sides. The combined armies of Nohr, Hoshido, and Corrin's forces couldn't push past the wave of invaders that kept coming through the portal, yet the waves of enemies slowly trickled down from forty every five minutes, to twenty every ten minutes. The battle would always progress as thus; the fresh horde of reinforcements would bolster the existing group from before, and they would nearly break through the defensive lines, only for the line to hold and slowly push them back towards the portal just as another group emerged.

Now, the flow of the battle was a lot more exaggerated, a lot more desperate. The Vallites would push the combined armies of Nohr and Hoshido back before the combined group would push them back towards the portal. At one point, Arthur was even able to push past the desperate defense the Vallites created, though through some sort of cosmic misfortune, he slipped on a patch of mud and was almost trampled to death before Benny had reached through and managed to drag him back.

She knew that Anankos was slowly running out of servants to throw at them. Sure, he may be able to create an infinite number of them, but creating new servants takes time, time for which the Hoshidans and Nohrians could take advantage of.

Despite the reduced number of enemies, everyone was tired. Azura could see it in the faces of the men that retreated to the makeshift triage/armory. Faces haggard, arms hanging loosely by their sides, dull and unfocused eyes as they slapped their weapons onto the broken weapons rack before heading into the armory and coming back out with another weapon.

Even Azura could start to feel the fatigue weigh itself in on her bones, even though she had remained largely absent from the fight. Throughout the course of the fight, Azura glimpsed Roma and Xander once or twice, wading through the waves of enemies, cutting them down left and right as indiscriminately as a Hoshidan farmer would to barley stalks.

Camilla and Hinoka led a large group of thirty or so wyvern and Pegasus knights down onto the battlefield, causing mass panic and chaos whenever they striked. Takumi was still perched on top of Corrin's treehouse, though every so often, he would jump down to Leo, who was positioned behind a makeshift barricade made of spears, wood, and scraps of rope and armor, to tell him information regarding changes to the invader's tactics and positioning. Leo, in return, would order Takumi back to his post, but not without a curt thanks or pat on the shoulder, which made the Hoshidan prince smirk a little bit, despite his prejudice against Nohrians.

But as the battle waged on, their forces were slowly pushed further and further back. Men fell like leaves before a coming storm, and despite their relatively large garrison, Azura knew that if they didn't either push them back completely or destroy the portal soon, the defenders would be overrun.

Leo was forced to retreat when a wave of Faceless broke through the makeshift barricade. Thankfully, Takumi was able to cut down the group of a dozen or so creatures before they were able to overwhelm the defenders. Xander and Laslow were dragged back to the triage, blood spurting out of a wound in his shoulder as Peri and Selena desperately explained the situation.

Xander had taken an arrow straight to the shoulder, causing his horse to rear at the slackening of the reins, tossing him to the ground. Laslow had to single-handedly fend off the group of nearly six invaders by himself, using his natural flexibility as dancer to evade blows. For a time, it worked, until a Faceless' fist smashed himself into his chest. From there, it all went downhill.

Ryoma was forced to retreat when a stray invader somehow managed to cut his entire hand off. It took the combined efforts of Azura and Kaze to drag the hot-blooded samurai away from the fight as Saizo and Kagero covered their retreat. Azura shuddered at the memory. She had let out a rare, genuine scream when she saw Ryoma's hand twitching on the ground.

Sakura and Elise were forced to put Ryoma to a magically-enhanced sleep, as in his current state, he would probably do more harm to himself, and was immediately carted into the castle's actual infirmary, where they had more available tools to reattach his severed hand.

A swath of arrows cut down nearly half of the wyvern and Pegasus knights, sending the animals crashing into the ground, crushing friend and foe alike. Azura grimaced at the sound of men screaming in pain and terror as a two-ton pound reptile flattened them.

But despite all that and more, the worst part of it all was Corrin's absence. Azura had grown used to fighting next to Corrin, even though most of the time, he, Xander, and Ryoma would outstrip her and cause her to fall to the back of the battle.

Save for an instance where she had seen Corrin dance his way through a swath of Faceless, cutting down the creatures with both dragon fang and sword alike, ever since he had dove into the thick of the battle three hours ago, Azura hadn't seen him since.

And that scared her.

Azura sighed and pushed to her feet with her naginata, taking a moment to check her legs for any signs of wounds or dirt. Azura was definitely not one to be vain or proud of her appearance. She knew she would never be as endowed as Camilla, or as charming and bubbly as Felicia, but at the very least, at least they didn't have her legs.

She admired them, not only because they were one of the few things she could take pride in, but because they were one of her most defining features, and she glimpsed Corrin once or twice glancing at her legs out the corner of her eye. It pleased her, in a perverse way, though she didn't really know the reason why.

Azura sighed again as she spared a second to run a critical eye over her naginata. The weapon would definitely need repairs after today. The ends were covered in blood and grime, and one of the tips had been snapped off, courtesy of Arthur. As Azura finished off a wounded Vallite, Arthur had stumbled backwards as he was fencing with another Vallite and tripped over her one naginta's many prongs. She wasn't angry at him, though she was often exasperated at Arthur's sometimes comically bad luck.

Azura let out a small sigh as she remembered the sight of Corrin dancing his way through the Vallite ranks, cutting down foes left and right, flicking the masks and heads off the Faceless as easily flicking the off heads of barley stalks. Between Laslow and Corrin, she couldn't decide who was more graceful in combat.

While Laslow was more agile and confident in general, Corrin just seemed…more fluid. She had seen him slash a Vallite berserker from shoulder to hip, turn around, jump and impale a Faceless with a spear-like appendage that had emerged from his arm, all without hesitating or breaking stride.

As she hobbled her way towards the edge of the battlefield, a healer ran up to her, offering to heal her wounds. She politely declined, stating that her wounds were not as bad as the rest of the army's. Put off by her response, the healer nodded before running to the next person.

They had lost many; the ground was littered with the corpses of Vallite, Hoshidan, and Nohrians alike. They would be hard-pressed to clean up afterwards, the bodies of the Vallites burned and buried, respectively. Thankfully the Faceless left behind no corpses to clean, only their heavy iron masks and chains which could later be re-purposed into something else.

She knew Lilith could probably snap her fingers and have all the bodies and weapons and blood vanish, but that seemed wrong to ask of her. _Oh, we're done here. Do your weird astral dragon thing, Lilith. Excuse us, we're all going to go take a nap._

Azura let out a small smile, though in her mind, she felt no joy or happiness in it.

"How funny. The Hoshidans and Nohrians fought each other for almost a century, only for them to fight alongside each other to reveal they each have the same blood inside every one of them," Azura had noted to Flora within the triage when she retreated for a quick heal for a small scrath on her leg. The cut wasn't serious, but i was relatively painful, and she found herself unable to put any weight on it.

Felecia had knocked Flora in the back of head with a lance hard enough where she had received a minor concussion, forcing her to exit the battle. Flora nodded thoughtfully as she glanced at Jakob, who was engaged in wrapping a bandage around one of Benny's massive arms.

She stooped down to check on a nearby Nohrian soldier, who had stuck his sword into the ground, resting his hands and head on the pommel as he took several breaths. To her surprise, it was Selena, the red-haired retainer of Camilla. A nasty looking cut was open on her arm, but Selena did not seem to notice or care.

She touched her on the shoulder and suggested that she return to the healer's tent. Selena refused, drawing herself back up and shaking her long-red hair free of the hide-skin helmet she wore on her head, stating that, "Where I come from, Lady Azura, if you had an arm, could stand, and weren't dead, you could still fight."

Azura pursed her lips, surprised. "W-well, if you insist," she said.

She turned and walked away, but paused for a brief moment, a small smile breaking out on her face as she heard Selena draw her sword out of the ground and stagger away, towards the direction of the medical triage. Most of the people she had tried to help at first had refused to retreat, stating that they had a responsibility to the army. As the battle had dragged on, even the soldiers who were the most stubborn at first started taking her advice and retreated when she had asked them barely more than twice.

Azura was glad they had started listening to her. She knew that the more people they had on the front lines, the easier they would be able to push back the Vallites, but for some reason, she couldn't fathom how some people got hurt so easily. Is it really that hard to dodge an incoming spear thrown from 50 feet away?

She saw another Nohrian soldier dueling with a Vallite soldier. She sprinted towards the two, her feet barely skipping the floor as she reared up her arm and snapped it forward, stabbing the Vallite in the arm, allowing the Nohrian to follow up with a slash to the chest. He nodded in thanks, before retreating towards the triage.

Azura watched him hobble away, before continuing her calculated stumble towards the edge of the battlefield. Azura hissed with pain as she stepped on a dagger, the blade poking a particularly sensitive spot on her feet where one of Garon's concubine's children had burned her feet with an iron poker by "accident". It usually never bothered her, and there was no sign of the blemish after she had paid a visit to one of Garon's clerics, but for some reason, the dagger stabbing her foot through there had hurt more than usual. Azura stumbled, twisting her ankle as she fell.

 _Really?_

After surviving everything today, this is how she's going to end up? With a sprained ankle because she wasn't watching where she was going? Azura blew a strand of hair out of her face in exasperation as she tried to see how badly sprained her ankle was.

As she did so, she felt the ground shake rhythmically beneath her, and heard a roar from behind her. She looked behind her, and saw a Faceless charging towards her, a sword point sticking through its gut, as if it had been stabbed from behind. A single red light shone brightly through one of the holes in its mask.

The cold hands of fear gripped her heart. She was never scared of Faceless, but something about her being crippled on the ground, unable to move as she watched what might be the instrument of death approach her terrified her.

She couldn't move, and she couldn't defend herself. Her naginata required her to be on her feet in order to use it effectively, if at all, and her sprained ankle prevented her moving easily.

The monster took another step towards her. Azura tried to get to her feet, ignoring the screams her ankle threw at her as she tried to stand. If she could at least stay on her feet for about a minute, maybe she could defeat the creature.

She never had a chance. As she tried to get up by using her arms to push herself off the ground, the monster was already upon her. A giant, green, muscular hand closed around her neck, lifting her off of the ground.

Azura desperately tried to pry the fingers around her throat off of her, but she may have been trying to rip a boulder in half. She gasped for breath as she glanced at the iron mask covering the creatures head.

She knew what the monster was going to do; she had already seen it happen before during the battle. An unfortunate Hoshidan or Nohrian soldier would find themselves hoisted off the ground by a Faceless as it squeezed the hapless soldier until they expired, their soul and body literally crushed into a pulp.

She desperately kicked and pummeled the fist around her throat, though she knew it would never hurt the monster. She tried to escape, to wriggle her way out of the monster's hands, but none of her efforts had any effects. The grip around her tightened, and she gasped as black and red spots appeared in the edges of her vision.

 _I'm about to die…_

The notion terrified her. Not only because she had not accomplished any of the goals she had planned to achieve in her life, such as defeating Anankos, marriage, birth, and love, but because she realized that she would be forced to leave Corrin, and that Corrin would be alone without her. Tears appeared in her vision as the world slowly turned black and gray.

A roar echoed across the battlefield. Azura was dimly aware of the fact that the tightening around her neck ceased, though the steel grip was still present. She barely noticed how the Faceless turned and roared, bringing up its free hand to defend itself from whatever may attack it.

" _Azura!_ "

Corrin watched in horror as he saw the monster pick up Azura by the throat. He pushed the Vallite he was dueling away, and without consciously thinking about it, rushed towards her, determined to protect her..

It reminded him too much of how he had hoisted Azura during his time as a feral dragon, and he promised himself that he would never let such a sight enter his mind again. He knew he had to save her. But she's across the entire battlefield, and there were too many people in the way.

 _No…no…no… she's too far away! I'm not fast enough…_ he thought, his feet slipping on the blood.

 _Wings…please…_

From his back sprouted a pair of wings which quickly unfurrowed and started furiously flapping, increasing his speed tenfold. The monster saw him coming, and turned to face him, roaring as it did so.

Without thinking, Corrin raised and slashed with the blade he held in his hand. The Yato was no longer just a legendary sword bound to him; it was a burning arc of destruction focused on one objective and one objective only; saving Azura.

A blur of white and white streaked across her vision. The monster holding her fell backwards, roaring in pain as it fell. From where one of its arms used to inhabit, a black liquid poured out. She fell to the floor, the giant green hand around her neck slowly dissipating as the corpse of the monster dissolved as well.

Corrin crouched a few feet away from her, Yato out to the side, the tip facing away from his body. A black liquid dripped down onto the ground, evaporating before it could even splatter the blood-soaked dirt. A pair of wings slowly folded into back before vanishing in a burst of light.

Suddenly, Corrin blanched, and his eyes widened in shock as he looked down. Corrin then did something she had never seen him done before: he _dropped_ Yato.

It just…fell out of his hand. His other hand pressed against his sternum before he collapsed, to Azura's horror.

Corrin had never collapsed that way before, nor had he ever just _dropped_ Yato like that before. A pit formed in Azura's heart and stomach as she crawled towards Corrin, ignoring the pain in her ankle and the dark edges appearing in her vision. Once she reached Corrin, she rolled him over onto his back.

A large lipless smile stretched across his body, directly below the ribcage, starting from the right side of his body and ending at the left. The wound was thin, but it was deep. She saw thin yellow layer of fat below Corrin's skin, followed by the red muscle.

Blood was spreading from the wound. Corrin's blood. _His_ blood. Azura desperately tried to staunch the bleeding, ignoring the fact that she was getting blood on her own hands and dress, and how Corrin's blood burned her skin, on account of his draconic heritage.

 _How? How did this happen?_

The monster had carried no weapon. Azura's face paled as she remembered the sword sticking through the monster's gut. As Corrin slashed through the monster's arm, the sword must have impaled him as he attacked the monster. As he phased past the monster, momentum did all the work for him.

Azura cupped Corrin's face in her hands, desperate to give him something to focus on until a healer arrived, tears spilling from her eyelids

"Corrin! Listen to my voice! You can't die here, not yet! We still need you! I need you!" Azura screamed, before looking around desperately for help, a soldier, Laslow, Kaze, _anybody._

"Help! Help!" Azura screamed tears blurring her vision as she furiously wiped them away, dimly aware that she would be staining her face with his blood.

Now was not the time to break down and start crying. Corrin needed her right now, and Azura needed him. A nearby Hoshidan soldier noticed, and rushed to her side, asking what was wrong, concerned etched on his face

Azura did not have time to explain. "Quick! You have to fetch a healer. Sakura, Elise, it doesn't matter, Get help!" Azura screamed. The soldier nodded, his eyes wide with shock.

"What are you doing? _GO!"_ Azura screamed, sending the soldier desperately running towards the bivouac, shouting and waving his arms as he approached it.

"Azura…" Corrin whispered, barely able to get the words past his lips. Azura instantly turned her head to look at him.

Corrin's unfocused red eyes sharpened and swiveled to meet Azura's golden eyes. He raised a bloody hand and touched her face, wiping a tear away.

"Please…please t-tell me you're alright…I c-couldn't stand…to see you hurt…" Corrin whispered, echoing what his own mother had asked him as she lay dying in his arms, so long ago.

Azura nodded, putting a hand behind Corrin's hand, her other hand resting on his cheek. Corrin opened his mouth again, his words even fainter than before.

"Please…d-don't…cry…" Corrin managed to whisper before his eyes rolled into the back of his head, the hand touching Azura's face dropping to the side of his body. Azura felt cold all of a sudden.

"No! Corrin! Corrin! Look at me! Answer me!" Azura screamed. She screamed his name again, this time so loudly, her broke broke, coppery blood coating the back of her throat .She felt rough hands grab her shoulder and pull her away. She fought and scratched, desperate to remain by Corrin's side.

She was barely aware of the fact that she was going to pass out, the dark edges in her vision slowly creeping inwards. The last feeling she felt that of regret, and her last thought was of Corrin.


	6. Chapter 6

Azura groaned as she blearily opened her eyes. She had a _killer_ headache, and there was some sort of restriction on and around her neck. She blindly scrabbled at her neck, before slender yet strong fingers pried them away. Azura groaned weakly again and blinked her eyes a few more times as a familiar salmon-colored maid came into view. Upon seeing Azura's golden eyes focus on her, Felicia smiled, all traces of worry fading away from her face.

"Ah…I see you're awake now, milady," she said gently. "Here. Eat this. It'll help." There was something _off_ about her tone, though. It was flat, a little bit duller, and Azura thought she could even detect a race of sorrow and bitterness in her voice. Before she could comment on it, a spoon full of some sort of broth pushed itself past her lips. She coughed as the broth hit the back of her throat. She tried to wave her hands to fend off Felicia's treatment, but to no avail.

About half a dozen sips later and one empty bowl, Azura finally managed to get Felicia's hands out of her face. She frowned as she realized that save for her smallclothes, she was almost completely naked. "What…what…"

"What happened?" Felicia finished. "We won."

"We…won?" There was something wrong with her voice. She tried to look down, but saw that her head was supported and framed within a halo brace, preventing her from moving her head more than a couple inches. A thick and mildly itchy bandage was wrapped around her throat, and she reached up to pull it away before Felicia stopped her again.

"You…your throat's been wounded," Felicia said sadly. "Something about the way that monster grabbed you, and the way you screamed Lord Corrin's name gravely damaged your throat. I'm afraid that until either Lady Sakura or Lady Elise takes a look at you, you're to be confined here."

"How…how long…?"

Felicia pursed her lips together as she glanced out the window at the pyre. She could see the miniature figures of Jakob, Silas, and Hinata struggling to lift up and drag away the bodies to where Azama stood, silent and respectful for once to those who lost their lives. Silas knelt down, apparently lost in thoughts, as he rested a hand on one of the bodies, his lips moving silently in some sort of prayer.

Felicia sighed and shrugged. "I'm…I don't know. We're still cleaning up after the battle, so they'll need to tend to the more…more wounded right now."

Azura tried to shake her head, but upon remembering the bandages around her neck, instead pointed a thumb towards herself as she whisper-said, "How…long…was I…"

"Oh, how long were you out? Only two days," Felicia said. "When we found you, you were screaming your heart out over Lord Corrin's—" Here, her voice broke, and she looked away as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Lord…Lord Corrin's body…"

Azura's eyes widened. "Is he—"

"He's still alive," Felicia added hastily, "but…he's not doing so well."

"What…happened…?"

"Well, judging from the eyewitnesses nearby, when that monster-thing lifted you off the ground, Corrin saw and rushed over. He managed to save you, but he didn't notice the giant sword sticking through its stomach, so when he ran past it to save you…he…he sliced himself wide open."

Azura's eyes slowly drooped together as she gazed down guiltily at her hands. So Corrin had risked his own life just to save her, then. Tears started to blur her vision as Felicia took her hands in her own. Azura flinched at the contact.

Felicia gazed at her sadly in the eyes. "I know how you feel about Lord Corrin. Trust me, I would know. But he's also one of the strongest and hard-working people I've ever met. I'm sure he'll pull through. He's survived worse before."

Azura nodded and tried to blink the tears out of her eyes as Felicia awkwardly hugged her, throwing one arm haphazardly around her shoulder while the other squeezed her hand. Azura hesitated for a second, before returning the gesture, taking care not to jostle her neck too much, which was a bit difficult.

After they separated, Azura pointed to Felicia. "Why…you?"

Felicia raised an eyebrow. "What…what do you mean?"

Azura pointed again towards Felicia. "Why…are…you…helping me?"

Felicia smiled, though her eyes and face remained haggard. "Well, Lord Corrin made me, Kaze, Jakob, Gunter, and Silas swear an oath to look after you in the event that's he's either injured, too busy, or…"

 _Dead_.

"…or dead," Felicia finished. "Thankfully, it's not that last one, but even if he didn't order us to take care of you, I would've done it anyways."

Azura frowned. "…Why?"

Felicia chuckled uncertainly. "Because…you're one of my friends?" she said in a lilting voice. "And that's what friends do for each other when one of them is hurt? They take care of them?"

Azura blinked. "Fri…end?" she asked slowly.

Felicia smiled. "Well, I mean, yeah! You were sort of the only thing keeping Lord Corrin and I alive while we stuck down in Va—er, I mean _that_ place. It's sort of hard _not_ to like someone after they saved your life, like, I don't know? Countless times?"

She's not used to such compliments, so Azura decided instead to gaze thoughtfully out her window instead of responding, trying to avoid looking at Felicia. The maid sighed and stood up with her tray.

"Well, Lady Sakura and Princess Elise should be coming in to heal your throat sometime later today, so make sure you don't move your neck or bandages too much." Before she left the room, Felicia's head popped back in. "Er, well, I'm not really supposed to tell you this, but if you really want to, Lord Corrin's in the infirmary."

Azura nodded in thanks, but continued to stare out her window, her hands clasped in front of her. The instant she was sure Azura couldn't hear or see her, Felicia let out a huge sigh. Honestly, sometimes, the frozen wasteland that had been her and her sister's home could be warmer than Lady Azura sometimes. She took a moment to collect herself and strode forward, struggling to keep the food tray in her hands level. Despite her efforts, the contents still clattered to the ground.

Azura could not help but smile to herself as she heard to ever-so-familiar sound of Felicia crashing to the ground, followed by whatever she was holding and a string of curses and moans. Just as quickly, though, the smile faded.

 _Friends…_

The very word terrified her. For the past year, the only "friend" she really had was Corrin, and that was it. It wasn't that she hated talking to others, though her social anxiety often kicked in in social situations, but rather her fear of letting people other than Corrin into her heart. She simply isn't capable of bringing herself to open up to others, especially after her childhood growing up in Garon's courts. True, she knew that not everybody she met was automatically out to get her, and it can be dreadfully lonely at times, but still…

Azura sighed and folded her hands together as she tried to close her eyes and fall back asleep, though it was difficult due to her neck halo. The last thing that passed through her mind before she delved into her waking dreams was the sight of Corrin, laying facedown on the ground, soaked in blood.

* * *

 _~Three days later~_

"And…you should be set to go!" Elise chirped.

Azura's hands slowly came up to her neck as she peeled away the bandages surrounding her neck. "Are you sure it's completely healed over?" she asked.

Elise pouted and crossed her arms. "When has my healing ever done something wrong, huh?"

"Uh…"

Elise smiled and socked Azura in the arm, causing her to wince and rub the bruise. "Don't worry, big sis! I'm just joshing ya! And besides, you still look really pretty, and I'm sure Corrin'll think the same once he's you know, recovered."

Azura fought to keep her face from turning scarlet as she asked, "Do…do you know when he'll be out? Is he still recovering?"

Elise sighed and rolled her eyes. "I already told you yesterday, he's doing _fine_. Don't worry about him, just worry about yourself!"

Azura's brows furrowed. "Yes, but—"

"But nothing!" Elise exclaimed, slashing her arm through the air as if it were Azura's complaints and objections. Upon seeing Azura's crestfallen expression though, however, Elise decided to take pity on her. "That being said, I _guess_ I could take you there," she said subtly.

Azura perked up. "Wait, really? I thought you said that only—"

"I said I _guess_!" Elise quipped. "But if you don't want to…"

"I do," Azura said, nodding. "I really want to see Corrin." Even as the words left her mouth, she couldn't help but feel a little bit disgusted with herself for acting like a puppy whenever its owner showed them a bag of treats.

Elise must've caught on to, because she giggled. "Alright then. Just put on some clothes. I'll wait for you outside."

* * *

"Really, Azura?" Elise asked once Azura stepped out of her room, pulling on her long, white, frilled, fingerless gloves.

"What?" Azura asked defensively.

Elise made a mock noise of disgust as she gestured to the entirety of Azura's figure. "I mean, c'mon!" she whined. "Same white dress, same gloves, same…hat…thing you always wear. You're going to see Corrin! For all you know, your face is gonna be the first thing he sees. Why do you always wear the same thing? Do you ever wear anything that _doesn't_ reveal your leg and part of your underwear?"

"My…underwear?" Azura asked. "I'm not sure I know what—"

" _That_!" Elise exclaimed, pointing at the top of Azura's left leg. Azura followed her finger down to where she was pointing, and her face took on a very slight shade of pink as she realized what she was talking about.

"Oh! That's…not my smallclothes," she said. "It's…just a thing songstresses wear…because…it's really…it just makes it more comfortable for me to dance in, alright?"

Elise smirked. "Oh yeah, _suuuure_ ," she drawled. "Are you sure it's got nothing to do with—"

"Can we just get on with this?" Azura snapped, her temper lashing out for once. "Just because I asked you to keep my secret about me being attracted towards Corrin from everyone, doesn't mean that you can blackmail and insult me whenever you want to."

Elise's smile drooped a little. "I'm…I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to make you mad like that. I'm sorry," she apologized. "I wasn't trying to blackmail you, I promise!"

Azura sighed as she looked down at the Nohrian princess. She kneaded the bridge of her nose. "I suppose I was a little bit too harsh just now. Please, forgive me."

"It's fine," Elise sighed. "Let's go."

Azura wordlessly followed Elise down the corridor of the castle, out through the main gates, into the main courtyard, and towards the infirmary, which was set in a small, white building next to Lilith's shrine. Azura thought she spotted the catfish-like dragon for a split second, but when she looked again, it was gone. As they walked towards the infirmary, Azura couldn't help but look around the courtyard.

Four days ago, there were bodies strewn everywhere, blood soaking so deep into the grass that simply taking a step would soak your feet red. Buildings once destroyed during the attack were brand new, undamaged. In fact, save for a small pile of rubble resting on the far side of the courtyard, everything looked as if the attack had never happened, and even then, Azura was unsure if the pile of rubble was even there before the attack.

"They sure cleaned this up fast," she said quietly to herself.

"Yeah, they sure did," Elise chirped, looking back. "Lilith did most of the work, actually. All she did was to repair the buildings and clean up the place. She couldn't do anything about the bodies though, so we had to move them by hand."

Azura nodded thoughtfully, remembering the sight of Silas, Jakob, and Hinata struggling to drag away the bodies. "What did they do with the bodies of those who fell for our cause?"

"Well, Azama said a few words, for them. Basic stuff. And then Leo, Ryoma, and Niles helped wrapped up the ones who were relatively…whole, and sent those back to their families. The ones who weren't…we cremated them."

"And the ashes?"

"Sent back to their families, along with a letter," Elise said. "Xander stayed up three nights in a row, since he also wrote one for the Hoshidans as well."

Azura frowned. "W-wait, you said _Ryoma_ helped with the cleanup process? I thought his hand was—"

"Yeah, we managed to stitch it back onto him," Elise said simply opening the door to the infirmary. "Luckily, turns out Leo's also a bit of an anatomist, so the whole thing went pretty easily." Elise opened the door and gestured towards Azura. "You can go first."

Azura slowly stepped into the stark white room. A shrine maiden quickly approached her, bowed, and asked if she would like anything to drink.

"We have all sorts of Nohrian and Hoshidan beverages," she offered.

"No thank you," Azura said as she looked around the building. The entire building consisted of one room, with cots lined up against every wall with a couple of feet of space in between. Curtains were lined up around every cot for privacy. In the corner of the room, towards the back and separated from the rest of the room by a drape of white curtains, was a section used for more specialized operations, such as childbirth or surgeries.

 _Or having people who protected me recover_ , Azura thought darkly to herself.

She nodded her head towards the curtained area. "Is…that…"

"Yeah, that's where big brother is," Elise said, somber for once as she picked up her healing rod to help another shrine maiden deal with an uncooperative patient. "Go on. That whole section is pretty soundproof, so if there's anything you want to say to Corrin privately, we won't be able to hear. Well, within reason. We can hear you if you scream or shout, but whispers should be quiet enough."

Azura nodded gratefully as she pushed aside the curtain. What she saw made her jaw drop.

Corrin laid prone on the bed, his right arm dangling off the side of the bed, her head arched back. His white hair plastered across the pillow beneath his head as his chest heaved.

"E…Elise?" Azura called.

The Nohrian princess peeked her head in. "What's wrong?"

Azura continued staring in horror at the man lying before her. "I…I thought you said that he was fine!"

Elise grimaced. "Well…his condition's been improving ever since we brought him in, but even though we did everything we could to heal him, he still hasn't woken up yet. It may have something to do with his body going into shock, but we don't really know."

Azura slowly walked over to Corrin's side and proceeded to lift up the hem of the blanket. Elise saw what Azura was about to do and reached out with her hand to stop her. "A-Azura, I don't—"

Azura stared incomprehensibly at Corrin's midriff. His stomach, once smooth, yet toned, now yet a scar running across the length of his body, starting at one side of and ending at the other. The scar itself was raised barely less than an eighth of an inch. It was the color of it and the surrounding skin that offended Azura's eyes the most.

Growing up in Northern fortress, Corrin had little exposure to the sun, if it ever appeared over Nohr, and as such, had an almost unnatural paleness. On a normal person, the scar could've been seen by others as a trick of the light, perhaps an oddly shaped tan line of sorts. On Corrin, the scar was infinitely more noticeable.

The main of the scar had turned pink, with the edges only a slight shade lighter. It was the color of the surrounding muscle and skin that caught Azura's attention. Around the scar, Corrin's almost-white skin had turned a shade of red, creating a ghastly, lipless smile across his stomach.

"What…what is that?" Azura asked, pointing.

Elise walked over to look at what Azura was pointing at and sighed. "We don't know," she said. "Leo's been in the library for gods know how long, and so far, the only thing that came up was that this kind of symptom is only prevalent when a half-dragon is injured and struggling to stay alive."

"Stay…alive?" Azura repeated, feeling dull and slow.

Elise nodded. "He's still fighting, but I'm guessing that because he's fighting off whatever that cut did to him, he's still in this state."

Azura stared down at Corrin as she silently pulled up a chair and held Corrin's hand. "Have…have you tried do anything to help provide him with energy? Like any spells, or whatnot?"

Elise shook her head. "We've all tried. Xander and Lord Ryoma got all the mages in their armies to pour their energy in Corrin, but nothing seems to be working. It's almost as if it didn't even affect it."

Azura's hand unconsciously clutched her pendant as she squeezed his hand. "Elise…"

"Yeah?"

"Can…can you get everyone to clear out of here? Only for a few moments?"

Elise frowned. "I suppose, but why? What're you gonna do?"

Azura tightened her grip on her pendant. "An idea," she said simply. "But I can only do it if there's nobody around to hear me."

Elise chewed her lip for a second, thinking before finally nodding. "Alright, I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you."

Azura continued to stare at Corrin until the last few sounds of Elise and the shrine maidens faded into nothings, whereupon she stood up. Did she actually know what she was about to do? No. Would it ever actually work? Probably not. But she had to try anyways, because if she didn't, she would never see Corrin again.

That thought spurs her, and so Azura grips her pendant tightly and sings.

" _You are the ocean's gray waves…_

 _Destine to seek, life beyond the shores…_

 _Just out of reach…"_

* * *

Corrin was standing before two doors, one white, one black. He looked around behind himself. Save for the perpetual white fog around him, there was nothing.

" _Where am I?"_ he asked, his voice echoing.

No response.

" _Where am I?"_ he asked again, this time, a little bit more forcibly.

As if it had heard him, the fog thickened, condensing itself around Corrin until it was nearly impossible to see the two doors and the tips of his arms, before the fog fell away to reveal a small campfire resting on a patch of grass. Sitting next to it was a hooded man. The man gave no indication that he knew of Corrin's existence, and instead continued to prod the fire.

Corrin frowned and stepped over to him. " _H-hey, can you hear me? Where are we?"_

The hooded figure continued to prod the at the fire nonchalantly. " _A crossroads,"_ he said simply. " _Everywhere and nowhere."_

Corrin frowned. He pointed towards the doors. " _Alright, well, can you tell me where these doors lead?"_

The figure shifted his head. " _Yes._ "

" _Will you tell me?"_

 _"Yes."_

Corrin waited patiently. " _Well?"_ he asked after what felt like several minutes had passed.

The figure seemed to chuckle and smile. " _Your first question was whether or not I had the ability to answer your question, and the second was whether or not I_ would _tell you, but you never actually asked me the question."_

 _"Then let me ask properly,"_ Corrin said, smiling. " _Where do these doors lead, and where are we?"_

The figure rested the poker on the ground next to him and leaned back, planting his hands on the ground. " _I've already told you where we are: a crossroads. As for where those doors lead, take my advice: open the white one."_

 _"The white one?"_ Corrin asked. " _Why?"_

 _"Because it's not time for you to open the black one yet,"_ the man responded. " _Though I'm sure there's at least between one or a thousand people that want to see you open that door. Thankfully, even if you chose to open the black door, it would've been very hard for you to fully open it and step through it."_

Corrin frowned. " _What do you mean? You talk like you know what's going on here. Who are you?"_

The man smiled and placed his finger to his lip in a shushing gesture. " _That'll come in due time, my child, but for now, all you need to know is that your people need you._ My _people need you."_

Corrin opened his mouth to answer before he suddenly fell to his feet. A surge of strength had just surged through him for a split second, and when it left his body, he felt weaker than ever before. " _What was that?"_ he asked, gasping for breath.

The hooded figure looked around in interest. " _I…I don't know. M-maybe it's—"_

Whatever the man had been about to say was lost as the white door suddenly burst open, sucking Corrin off his feet and blinding everything in a flash of light. The man was instantly on his feet and turned towards Corrin, seemingly unfazed by the sudden brightness and force.

" _Go. Your people need you, now, more than ever. Go."_

And then the light swallowed everything.

* * *

" _A burdened heart…_

 _Sinks into the ground…_

 _A veil falls away without a sound…_

 _Not day nor night, wrong nor right…_

 _For truth and peace, you fight…"_

Azura swayed for a brief moment, before collapsing into a chair that she had pulled up behind her as a precaution. Azura tried to keep the whimper of pain from escaping her lips as she clutched her pendant even tighter, leaving angry red gouges in her palm where the metal pressed against skin.

 _No change…_ Azura noted absently. _Well, I guess I'll have to do another round…and pray it doesn't kill me._

As she shakily got back to her feet, a soft groan came out of Corrin's mouth. Azura froze, staring at him. Surely, that had been a trick right? A desperate hallucination brought on by her exhaustion and fervor to see Corrin alive, right?

But no, even Azura slowly unfroze, one of Corrin's hands weakly clawed at the air. "A…zur…a…?" he gasped.

Azura gasped, her hands moving unbidden to cover her mouth as she gazed at the man lying on the cot before her. "C…Corrin?"

"'s me," he rasped. Groaning, his hands slowly came up to rub her forehead. "Head…feels funny…though."

"Corrin!" Without thinking, Azura leaned over and cupped his cheeks in her hands. It took her everything not to drop everything and rush over to tackle Corrin in a hug. To her relief, red eyes slowly focused in on her.

"H-hey…" he said, chuckling.

Azura smiled. "Hey."

His eyes flicked downward. "What's…what's on my stomach? Everything's blurry."

"Do…do you remember what happened?" Azura asked gently.

Corrin frowned. "N-no…not much, I'm afraid. I…I was fighting and…and—" Suddenly, his eyes snapped forward. He reached up to clasp Azura's hand in his own. "Oh gods! You were about to die! I…I had to save you!"

Before Azura could intervene, Corrin suddenly sat up and tore the blanket covering his waist off. Thankfully, for both of them, Corrin was still wearing pants, but his eyes and hands immediately focused themselves on the scar. The red part of his scar had faded, leaving only his pale, now-scarred skin. Corrin gingerly ran a finger over the length of the wound before looking back up at Azura.

"What…what happened?"

Azura shifted uneasily. "Well, you didn't miss too much. You saw that I was in trouble, and you rushed over to save me."

"I think the word 'trouble' is a bit of an understatement!" Corrin protested. "That Faceless was literally about to rip your head off!"

"That being said," Azura said, trying for a smile, "I'm still alive, aren't I? And you are too."

"Yeah, but at what cost?" he mumbled as he ran his hand over the scar again. He suddenly blushed as he realized that save for the pair of trousers on his legs, he was completely naked, a fact that Azura did not ignore. She ran an eye over Corrin's bare torso, blushing ever-so-slightly at the sight of his well-toned, yet lean body.

An awkward pause passed between them.

" _Soo…_ " Corrin said, drawing out the word. "Are…are you alright then? You weren't hurt too badly, right?"

For some reason, his comment made Azura smile. " _You're_ asking if _I'm_ alright?" she chuckled.

Corrin raised an eyebrow. "Are…are you alright though, Azura? Normally, you're not this…" he gestured towards her with an open palm, "this _optimistic._ No offense."

"None taken," she replied. "I'm just happy to see you again, still alive."

Slowly, however, ever so slowly, tears started to glisten in her eyes as she sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"Azura…?"

Before he could do so much as widen his eyes, Azura flew forward and wrapped her arms around Corrin's neck. Corrin's eyes widened for a second before relaxing and wrapping his own arm around her. He breathed in her scent of faint strawberries, and felt himself blush at the close contact.

"I was so scared…" she whispered. "Seeing you like that, on the ground."

"Yeah…me too," he whispered back. "I…I really don't know if this whole thing is worth it anymore, to be honest." Corrin said. "This war." Azura parted from Corrin as she looked at him in surprise, one of her palms still resting against his bare chest.

"What…what do you mean?" she asked. "You can't just give up! We finally managed to unite Nohr and Hoshido together! We can't just give up because of you—"

"It's not me!" he suddenly snapped. Azura lurched backwards, startled and hurt at his sudden outburst. Whatever feeling of relief and joy before had faded, to be replaced by tension and defeat. He sighed and rubbed his eyes with his hands.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I-I didn't mean to yell at you like that, but what I'm…what I'm trying to say is that…I don't know how I can go on if you ever got hurt or killed," he muttered. He looked up at Azura, and for an instant, Azura could see the fear and humanity in the half-dragon's eyes. "I can't stand the thought of you being hurt like that, and…and—"

" _Sh_ …" Azura gently rested a finger on top of Corrin's lips, silencing him. "It's alright. I know how you feel…and…and the truth is, I feel the same way about you too."

Corrin frowned. "W-what?"

"F…For as long as we've known each other, I…I may have been feeling…slightly more _drawn_ towards you than anybody else…and…and I guess what I'm trying to say is that—"

"I love you," Corrin breathed.

This time, it was Azura's turn to frown. "What?"

"I love you, Azura," Corrin said, still in that same breathy-type whisper. "I-I'm sorry for taking so long to tell you this, a-and honestly, I didn't even really k-know it until I saw you in danger, a-and I know I sort of have a reputation of having loved ones dying whenever they meet me, and I-I didn't want to curse you with the same fate, b-but I didn't think you would feel the same towards me, and—"

"It's okay," she said, just as gently, placing her finger back on his lips. "You don't have to be afraid of that anymore, because…well, I guess this'll probably be a better demonstration instead…"

In a rare moment of Azura taking the lead, she suddenly darted forward, leaning in and pressing her lips to his. She could feel his body tensing up beneath her fingers before it relaxed. A soothing calm settled over her, and for a moment, the only thing in the world was the feeling of his lips pressed against hers, and her fingers pressed against his chest. A few seconds later, something in the back of her mind clicked, and she pulled away, hiding her face with her hands and hair.

"I-I'm sorry!" she stammered, feeling like quite the fool. "I-I didn't mean for it to be so…" Her voice fell silent as Corrin reached out to touch her cheek.

"Please, stay with me," Corrin whispered. "Stay by my side, so that I can protect and love you like nothing else…"

"I will," she whispered back. "But only if you promise to stay with me, and to never let go…"

Corrin smiled and nodded. Azura laughed, a bright, cheery sound as she pressed her lips to his again, and this time, he fully reciprocated it. His hand slowly moved downwards to wrap itself around her waist, and Azura's finger slowly reached up to play with the ends of his hair. It was bliss.

And then it was shattered.

"Hey, Azura! It's been a full five minutes now! Are you still—"

Elise's jaw hit the floor as she gaped at the sight of Corrin and Azura kissing each other, their arms wrapped around each other's so tightly it was nearly impossible whose arm belonged to whom. Flushed, Azura pushed herself away from Corrin and onto the floor as Corrin gave a sheepish, yet boyish grin towards Elise.

"H-hey, Elise. Look! I'm all better—"

" _I KNEW IT!_ " she screamed. " _I knew it I knew it I knew it I knew it!"_

And then she was out the door.

Azura sighed as she picked herself up off the ground. "Oh dear," she said in faux disappointment. "I was hoping for our relationship to be kept a secret for more than a few minutes."

Corrin laughed at that, but immediately winced as his hand rested on his scar. "Ah, well, they were going to find out anyways, and besides, now we don't have to worry about keeping this whole thing under wraps."

Azura rolled her eyes. "Ever the optimistic one, you."

Corrin chuckled. "Well, maybe that's why we love each other. We balance each other out. Me, with my optimism, and you with your…your…uh…"

"My what?" Azura said, smiling.

"…your singing." Corrin finished lamely.

Azura giggled. "I don't think those two things cancel out, Corrin. If anything, they build off of one another."

"I guess you're right…"

They continued to stare at each other in a comfortable silence before the sounds of the shrine maidens entering the building brought them back to reality. Azura's eyes darted around the room. She jerked a thumb towards the curtain. "I…uh, I should probably go and let you rest."

Corrin managed to catch her wrist as she turned around. He pulled her in into another kiss, before finally letting go of her arm and gently pushing her away. "Alright then. Go, you."

Azura smiled over her shoulder at him as she disappeared behind the curtain. As she walked out of the infirmary, she unconsciously began to hum her song, only this time, not out of sorrow or necessity, but out of joy.

" _You are the ocean's gray waves…_

 _Destine to seek, life beyond the shores…_

 _Just out of reach…"_


	7. Chapter 7

As they expected, the news of Corrin courting Azura spread like wildfire across the castle, and by the end of the day, even the lowliest of footsoldiers knew about the news. Both of them, however, Azura especially, were incredibly relieved to hear that whatever gossip and rumors had spread were mostly benign in nature, and those who weren't were usually so outrageously absurd that even Odin were able to see through them.

That still didn't deal with the fact that Azura had been incredibly mortified at first. Despite her joking tone when Elise first walked in on them, she soon found herself be ogled at by nearly everyone she walked past. It unsettled her, though not because she wasn't used to suspicious glares and racist slurs towards her, her childhood in Nohr and Hoshido had hardened her, but because she knew that this time, they weren't saying anything bad about her, for once.

"Oh, don't worry about," Subaki had said to her when they were sharing a shift together organizing the armory. "Trust me, when I married Selena and had Caeldori, it felt like the only reason why people looked at me was because they were either disgusted with what I had done, or because they were genuinely happy for us. It took me a long time to realize it was the latter."

"Yes, but you're not the one being courted by the leader of the armies of both Hoshido and Nohr," Azura replied dryly as she forcibly shoved a polearm back onto a weapons rack "By courting me, Corrin's put me in the spotlight! And…I'm not one to…and I don't look good in the spotlight."

Subaki rose his eyebrows. "But…but aren't you a songstress? Shouldn't you be used to people staring at you?"

Azura blew her cheeks out, hearing this one argument one too many times. "It's different," she retorted. "If I were to ask you to perform your most complicated maneuver on your Pegasus right here, right now, would you be able to?"

"Of course!" Subaki snorted. "Do you want me to?"

Azura sighed and face-palmed. "That's…not what I meant," she said, shaking her head.

Surprisingly, it was Corrin who had a rougher time adjusting to the newfound attention people gave him. For one, every time he said Azura's name, whether it would be in a war meeting, during meal times, or just during casual conversations, they would all give each other knowing smiles and glances. At first, Corrin didn't mind the subtle looks, but as time wore on, he started to notice things. Things that never bothered him before were now standing out glaringly.

At first, a grin from Odin and Niles, but them being Odin and Niles, he didn't pay much heed to whatever they were doing. Then, a knowing smile from Xander. Which was then followed by an honest-to-gods chuckle from Ryoma as they were walking towards the mess hall near the armory together.

"What?" Corrin demanded, his smile slipping off his face. "What's so funny?"

Ryoma pretended to wipe a tear from the corner of his eye as he gazed down at Corrin (Ryoma was easily over six feet, and Corrin himself was barely topping five foot seven). "Oh, it's nothing," he said, still chuckling.

Corrin frowned before looking around him to make sure they were alone before abruptly pushing Ryoma behind the armory. "I swear to gods, Ryoma, everyone's been smiling and laughing these past few days, and not that I'm saying that's a bad thing, but if you're one of them too, then I honestly don't—"

"Calm down, Corrin," Ryoma said, placatingly laying his hands on Corrin's shoulders as he gently pried his hands off of him. "We're not making fun of you or Azura, honest! It's…just that seeing you two together…it makes people happy."

Corrin frowned. "What do you mean?"

Ryoma shook his head. "Corrin, you have to understand, people are bored, and people are scared. As far as everyone knows, Xander and I called the armies to assemble by the Bottomless Canyon based on the word of a prince disowned by both Hoshido and Nohr. Yes, you may have won over the people's hearts in your efforts to unite Hoshido and Nohr, but that still doesn't explain why you called us here."

"I already told you, Ryoma," Corrin started. "I want to tell you, but—"

Ryoma forestalled him with a raise of his finger. "I know. You can't for some reason, but what's important right now is realizing that by having news of you courting Azura, it motivates people. You may not know it, but most of the soldiers in our armies are either at your age, or older. Most of them know what you're going through right now."

"This is starting to make less and less sense…"

Ryoma sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "I know. Lighthearted conversations aren't my forte, but what I'm trying to say is that by having the knowledge of you, an idealistic, charming, and handsome prince court Azura, a beautiful, lovely, and—"

"You really are starting to sound like Camilla."

"Is that bad?"

"No, but it's not good either."

Ryoma chuckled again and raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. I'll stop using metaphors and get to the point. Anyways, you're a very popular man, Corrin, and Azura…is decidedly less so, but still popular in her own right. Simply hearing the news of you two courting each other is enough to bring a smile to even the most hardened of warriors. They'll be more likely to fight harder, but not for victory, but for you."

Corrin blinked. "What? F-for me?"

Ryoma nodded sagely. "Yes, for you. Like I said, Corrin, you can be very charming sometimes, and charming people usually have the ability to make a lot of allies, or at the very least get people to agree with what you're saying. That's how you united Nohr and Hoshido together, isn't it?"

Corrin rubbed the back of his head. "I…guess…But I still don't see—"

"People are also more likely to fight for someone who they like. People like you. You're charming. You're brave. You're altruistic. That's what makes a good leader. That's what makes you a good leader, and people know it. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Eh, sort of." Corrin looked up at his brother. "So basically, what you're saying is that news about me and Azura being together is going to improve morale among the army, because the men like me, because they see me as a good leader, because I'm all charming and altruistic, and because of that, they'll fight harder for me."

Ryoma shrugged. "Eh, not in that specific order, but that's the gist of it."

"Oh." Corrin looked down at his bare feet. "What about members of my elite guard then? Why are they always smiling whenever they see us?"

Ryoma clapped Corrin on the shoulder and leaned down so his lips were next to his ear. "Now this…this is where the rumors start to distort reality." Leaning back up, Ryoma crossed his arms and said, "Everyone in your elite guard is devoted to you, and you're devoted to them, which means they can afford to be a little bit more…rambunctious towards you without fear of repercussion."

"And the normal soldiers…?"

"Their training consists of learning how to bend to authority. It would not do for the entire army to mock their lord for something they did based on rumors."

"Ah. I see. So the people in my elite guard only make fun of me because they also feel the same way as the rest of the army, but because they're so much closer to me than the rest of the army, they can afford to tease me?"

Ryoma nodded. "Basically."

Corrin frowned. "Wait wait wait, you said something about rumors back then. Care to fill me in on what people are saying?"

Here, Ryoma smirked and clapped Corrin on the shoulders as he walked out from behind the armory. "That is a talk for another day, which I will arrange a meeting for before I leave for Hoshido to arrange and manage the transportation of supplies and men, but after the two of us sit down in the lunch hall and discuss matters of less importance."

Corrin shook his head and placed a hand on his hips as he watched Ryoma walk away. "You're awfully jubilant today," he called after him, a wry smile on his lips. "Why?"

"It's because of the rumor that a lord is courting a songstress," he called back over his shoulder, chuckling.

Corrin shook his head as he jogged to catch back up with Ryoma. At least he knew Ryoma and possibly Xander weren't opposed to the idea of him courting Azura.

So far.

* * *

"Uh, Lord Corrin?"

Corrin looked up from the report he was reading and sighed to see Felicia's trademark salmon-colored hair and ice-blue eyes peeking out from behind the door in his study. "I thought I ordered you—er, no, I thought I asked you to drop the honorifics?"

Felicia pursed her lips. "S-sorry, Lo—er, Corrin. Old habits."

"It's fine," Corrin said, massaging the bridge of his nose as his gaze dropped down to the desk again. "What is it? Do you need something?"

Felicia chewed on her lip for a few seconds before saying "Lord Ryoma and Lord Xander would like to see you in the war council room."

"What for?"

Felicia looked nervously around at the cluttered study. According to Lilith, once upon a time, this used to be the old commanding officer's private quarters, though the term bedchamber would've been more accurate.

But as the war between them and Valla raged on, the "bedchamber" became less of a place for sleep and comfort and more of a place to work endlessly into the night and planning attack strategies. Not that Corrin complained.

He was happy with his tree-house, and save the occasional complaint of having the ferry several dozen books up a flight of stairs to the study, which was located in the highest room of the highest tower, by himself, he was happy with the situation.

Of course, it could also mean that Corrin actually wasn't happy with it, but he wanted her, Jakob, and Flora to focus on other things besides helping him move what felt like a library's worth of books and reports somewhere else.

"Eh, they said they really needed to talk to you."

Corrin sighed and waved a hand dismissively at her. "Tell them that I'll schedule another meeting with them later this week. I'm sort of swamped right now."

Felicia bit her lip again. She hated being the bearer of bad news. "They said now."

Corrin groaned and leaned his head back as he stared up at the ceiling in frustration. They had just received reports of a new kind of Faceless terrorizing the soldiers traveling to the Bottomless Canyon, and he had to read through at least fifty more dozen-page reports before the end of the day in order to write a clear and concise summary to Leo, who was now acting as their acting-tactician, partly due to Corrin's own inexperience and partly due to Leo being ten times the strategist Corrin would ever be.

That, and the fact that he still had to finish up the reports regarding the aftermath of the attack on the castle.

"Fine," he groaned. "Tell them I'll be down in about ten minutes."

Felicia smiled and nodded, and before she lost her nerve, ducked her head back in and said, "Also, I'm happy for you and Azura. I think you two are really cute together!"

And just like that, she was gone.

Corrin stood up, his chair sliding backwards as he stared at the empty doorway. "H-hey, wait! Felicia!"

But only the sounds of ruffling papers and the distant clack of heels answered him. Corrin sighed again and sat back down I his chair as he set the reports off to the side of his massive desk in ordered portfolios. He may not be as colorful as Elise when it came to marking his things, or as neat as Xander when labelling them, or even as perfect as Leo's or Subaki's, but he knew his method of perfection was no slouch.

Sighing again, Corrin stood up, grabbed Yato, clasped his signature blue cape on, and clutched his dragonstone necklace for good luck before heading out the door.

Hopefully, the meeting wouldn't take too long. He really wanted to get the reports over with so he could sleep for once. Or better yet, spend a few hours talking with Azura.

* * *

"Lady Azura?"

"Hmm?"

Flora stepped smartly past the door leading to Azura's room. "Lady Azura?"

Azura looked up from the book she was reading towards the blue-haired maid. She was laying on her stomach on her bed, her elbows propped up to hold the book as he feet kicked idly in the air. The book was Hoshidan Horror Stories: IX Edition. Corrin had gotten it for her as a gift when they started courting, which was now about a week ago.

She hadn't slept more than a few hours since then, partly due to the shivers running up her legs and spine whenever she shuttered the candle in her room, but also partly due to this warm feeling that ran up and down her legs whenever she thought about the gift, or more accurately, its sender.

Azura hastily shifted herself so that she was sitting properly on the edge of the bed and clasped her hands firmly on top of the book resting in her lap. "Er, What is it?" she asked.

Flora cleared her throat and clasped her hands primly in front of her skirt. "Lord Ryoma and Prince Xander would like to see you in the war council room," she said primly.

Azura frowned and closed the book, though not before marking the page she was on. "Why?" she asked.

"They wanted to talk to you and Corrin regarding…certain situations," Flora responded before bowing and backing out of the room. As her mane of ice-blue hair swept out the door behind her, Azura could've sworn she saw the faintest hint of a smile on the normally professional maid's face.

Azura's blood froze. She stared at the door. What were they going to talk to her and Corrin about? They haven't had sex yet, and save for hand holding and few kisses stolen away in the dark when no one was around, they haven't done anything that romantic.

Sure, they eat together, but that's only whenever Corrin was in the mess hall at the same time as her, which she felt was being more and more of a regular occurrence, and Corrin had the unfortunate bad habit of patting the heads of anyone shorter than him (which was, only like three or four people in the army) and caressing their cheeks, but that's Corrin, for god's sake. He'll stroke the cheeks of anyone just to brighten up their day, even if they won't admit.

Azura sighed as she felt her pulse slow down to its normal tempo. She set the book down on the night table next to her bed and smoothed the creases out of her dress as she stood up.

"Guess I'll have to finish this later," she said to herself, looking at the book before walking out of the room. She gingerly closed the door behind her and pressed her back to it as she took another deep breath.

Everything's fine, she told herself. It's just another, everyday war meeting. It's not going to be about the two of us, it's just going to be—

"Azura! Azura!"

Azura grunted as she felt a weight slam into her. "Ow! What—"

"Did you hear? Did you hear? Did you hear?" Elise asked excitedly.

Azura frowned as she tried to pry her sister off of her. "H-hear what?"

"About the meeting!" Elise exclaimed exasperatedly. "Well, did you?"

Azura smiled faintly as she patted the top of Elise's head. "Yes, I did," she said patiently. "How much sugar did you have today?"

Elise raised four fingers. "I was helping Sakura and Hana in the kitchen, and they let me have four spoons of sugar!"

Azura frowned. "W-wait, four teaspoons, or four spoon spoons?"

"Four spoon spoons!" Elise said, beaming. "I can feel my whole body shaking! Is that good?"

"Uh…don't…don't you feel sick?" Azura asked concernedly.

"Nope! Sakura and I cook for each other a lot, and her food is always really sweet, so I guess I'm used to the amount of sugar at this point."

"Ah. I see."

"So, did you hear? Did you? Did you?"

"Calm down, Elise," Azura said patiently. "Yes, I heard about the meeting, and yes, I'm going to it right now."

"Oh! Can I come with, can I, can I?"

Azura sighed. "You know, it's going to be really hard for you to focus with this much—"

"It's fine," Elise whined. "I promise to be on my best behavior, I promise!"

"B-but I never said…"

"Let's go!" Elise suddenly grabbed Azura's hand and started to forcefully drag her down the hallway. "Let's go! Leo and Corrin are waiting for us!"

Azura desperately tried to pry her hands free. "W-w-wait! Elise! Ow! Stop!"

* * *

"Ah, Corrin. I see that you've received our…ah, invitation," Xander said as Corrin pushed open the door leading to the war council chamber.

"No offense, but I sort of wish I hadn't," Corrin replied as he pulled back and dropped into a chair.

Ryoma chuckled. "Well, if we were to tell you what this meeting was about, would you be more interested?"

"Maybe," Corrin idly picked up and twirled a pen in his hand as he glanced at Xander and Ryoma out the corner of his eye. "I literally just received about fifty reports about a new type of Faceless soldiers are encountering on their way to the Bottomless Canyon, and I really wanted to finish up my summary on them tonight so I could—"

"So you could talk to Azura in private?" Xander finished.

Corrin was so caught off guard, he stared at his older step-brother for a full two seconds before closing his mouth and shaking his head. "W-what?" he spluttered. "No! I wanted to turn them into Leo so he could make heads-or-tails of the whole thing! You know how he's like when it comes to reports! If I don't turn those reports in by tomorrow morning, he'll—"

"Don't worry, Corrin," Ryoma said, leaning back and crossing his arms. "Xander has already talked to Leo. I'm sure he'll understand."

Corrin scoffed and shook his head. "I know you want to get along with the rest of my family better, Ryoma, but I don't think you'll ever get the fact that Leo will never let anyone go off scot-free just because someone told him to. He's a bit of a—"

"A what?" A new voice interjected. "A perfectionist?"

Corrin nearly jumped out of his chair as Takumi and Leo sauntered. Takumi scowled once towards Corrin as he sat down in a chair next to Ryoma before looking away. Leo did the same, except he glanced nonchalantly towards Corrin before turning his attention towards Xander.

"Xander, how long is this going to take? I have fifty-four reports on a new strain of Faceless attacking our men travelling to the Bottomless Canyon to get through tonight, and I really don't want this meeting taking up more time than it should."

"Don't worry, Leo," Xander said reassuringly. "We'll talk about such matters first, before focusing on other, less important matters."

Takumi scoffed. "Yeah, right. If this meeting turns to Corrin and Azura—"

"Quiet, Takumi," Ryoma said, his voice deep with disapproval. "If you wish to leave so badly, then do so. Just know that everything in this room will stay confidential, until such circumstances occur where we declare otherwise."

Takumi rolled his eyes. "Fine."

"Hold on, do I even get a say in this?" Corrin asked. "I thought that whoever called the meeting was supposed to lead it."

"That is indeed true," Leo admitted, "but apparently, Xander and Ryoma were the ones to call us to order, so this time, they'll be in charge, not you."

"Well, what're we waiting for, then?" Corrin asked. "Let's get on with it!"

"Only," Ryoma interjected, "after the rest of our siblings arrive."

"Is Camilla coming too?"

Leo glanced towards Takumi. "Why are you asking? Is the—"

"There's no other reason!" Takumi snapped. Then, more sheepishly, he added, "It's just that some women take…an extravagant amount of time to get ready…especially Camilla."

"Why? What happened?" Corrin asked.

Takumi chuckled, once, and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Let's…just say I may have wandered into the women's privy chambers once by accident, and Lady Camilla just so happened to come in after me as I was…doing my thing. Spent nearly an hour just waiting for her to get done with her stuff before I could make a break for it."

"You…didn't peek, did you?" Xander asked dangerously.

"O-of course not!" Takumi said. "N-not saying that she's not a beautiful woman in her own right, but because—"

"But because you knew if she saw you, she would either ask you to…do things, or she would decapitate you on the spot with a brush," Corrin finished.

Takumi nodded. "See! Corrin gets it! I'm not alone in this!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth that his eyes bugged out and he made a conscious effort to avoid Corrin's gaze. Everyone laughed, save for Leo, whose corners of his mouth lifted by a minuscule amount.

"Don't worry about it, Takumi," Xander said. "Camilla…well, Camilla'll be Camilla. Nothing we can do or say will change that. And as for her attending today's meeting, she's unfortunately in Nohr, helping our generals smoothly move the troops out towards the Bottomless Canyon."

"Wish we could change the location of the privy rooms, so that if I ever eat wheat again, the male's privy room would be a lot closer," Takumi grumbled.

Everyone laughed again.

"In here!" came voice, muffled by the doors.

Elise pushed the door open and almost instantly, the laughter died down as Azura stumbled inside, along with Elise.

"Next time, Elise," Azura said, "Can you perhaps not push me into the door to open it?"

She froze once she realized that the gaze of everyone in the room was directed towards her, so she primly clasped her hands in front of her and bowed her head towards them. "I'm here," she said simply.

"I see Azura was able to make it," Xander said. He gestured towards the open chair next to Corrin. "Please, take a seat."

Azura glanced toward Corrin, who gave an almost imperceptible nod. She cautiously sat down next to Corrin as his fingers surreptitiously slid into hers. She squeezed his, and was relieved when he squeezed back.

Meanwhile, Xander cleared his throat and straightened out his notes on the table. "So," he said silkily. "We have…a bit of a situation on our hands."

"That's an understatement," Takumi scoffed.

"Peace, Takumi," Ryoma chided.

"I think everyone knows this by now, but just to make sure everyone's up to speed, let's go over the hard facts again," Leo said, spreading his own notes out across the table. He picked up a piece of parchment that looked like a piece of everyday parchment and tapped it with a finger.

"As you know, according to Lilith, at any rate, only she can enter and exit this…astral plane at will. She does so by creating these portals which can be used by others to travel to and from this place. Now, the real question is: how did those invisible soldiers and Faceless manage to get pass this system to attack us?"

Everyone looked darkly at each other. Azura gave a concerned glance towards Corrin as she felt his fingers slip out of his hands as he rested his elbows on the table, his fingers steepled together in front of his face.

"I've been thinking about that too, recently," he said, "and after a couple days of thinking, I think that—"

The door burst open again, this time depositing Gunter and Sakura inside. Ryoma's eyebrows lifted at the sight of Sakura clutching on tightly to Gunter's forearm.

"Sakura? What's the meaning of this? You're late. And why are you covered in—"

Sakura flushed and bowed her heads towards in the room in apology as she tried to wipe her flour-covered fingers on her dress. "I-I'm s-so sorry!" she stuttered. "I-I was working in the k-kitchen and I didn't even notice it was t-time for the meeting u-until E-Elise was g-gone, b-but I needed to c-change and I w-went to go change but—"

"I heard rumors of a war meeting today, and when I found her running around the castle hallways, I thought I'd bring her here," Gunter said. He twisted his hand over his breast in an Nohrian salute as he bowed. "Please, forgive me for the interruption. Allow me to take my leave."

Corrin's eyes flitted towards Azura before resting on Gunter's scarred face. "Eh, actually, Gunter," he said, raising a finger, "could you stay in here with us? We're discussing how those invaders managed to breach our defenses so easily, and since you've been in Va—er, at our enemy's doorstep before, wouldn't you have more experience than the rest of us?"

Gunter stroked his chin. "Yes, well, truthfully, I was more concerned about staying alive at the time than being interested in reconnaissance, so I'm not sure if I'm the—"

"He's right, Gunter," Xander said, nodding. "If what they said about you is true, after Hans betrayed you, you spent…what, almost an entire year in the enemy's domain? I'm sure you picked up at least a few bits and pieces of information as you scavenged for survival."

Gunter's lips tightened. "As you wish." He pulled up another chair next to Leo and sat down in it, his hands resting together on the table as he looked grimly around the other members of the table. "So, what is it that you wish to know?"

Takumi leaned back and put his hands behind his head. "Well, Corrin was about to say something, until you so rudely interrupted us."

"It's alright, Takumi," Corrin said coolly. "He didn't know, and besides, I'm sure the news will spread soon enough."

"Well, get on with it, then," Leo said irritably. "I still have to peruse through your reports, you know."

Corrin rolled his eyes in exasperation and leaned forward. "Fine," he said. "My guess on how those invaders managed to invade us is because of the fact that we may have a spy among our midst."

The crinkle on Xander's forehead deepened. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Think about it," said Corrin. "Only Lilith can create portals into the astral plane, and since I know for a fact that she would never betray us willingly, the only logical reason how they were able to invade us would be if they had a spy among us."

"That's…quite the accusation," Ryoma said. "Where's your proof? Your evidence?"

"Uh…" Corrin glanced at Azura before sheepishly dropping his gaze to the table. "I don't have any."

"And yet you claim that there is a turncoat among us," Takumi glowered.

Corrin scratched the back of his head. "Well…yes."

Takumi scoffed. "Well, unless you have something important to say, or if whatever point you're trying to get across has evidence behind it, I suggest you—"

"That's quite enough!" Ryoma said sharply. He sighed and pinched the nose of the bridge. "Evidently, feelings of animosity between you two haven't come anywhere close to being resolved, but for now, can you two just…get along?"

"I didn't do anything though!" Corrin protested as Azura squeezed his hand, silently urging him to shut up.

Thankfully, Corrin got the message and sunk back into his chair, crossing his arms as he pursed his lips. Xander sighed.

"Well, unless there's no evidence of—"

"Pardon the interruption, Lord Xander, but I believe Lord Corrin has a point here," Gunter interrupted.

The mere fact that Gunter had interrupted the Nohrian crown prince's own thoughts mid-sentence caused everyone to look at the aged knight in shock. Gunter ignored the stares thrown his way and instead cleared his throat.

"Everything Lord Corrin said about this turncoat may be true. Unless there's evidence disproving his theory, we have to assume for now that what he says is true, and as such, we should conduct an investigation into everyone possibly responsible as soon as possible."

Gunter stroked his chin thoughtfully as he gazed clear and hard into the table. "Now, it's only reasonable that since Lilith is the only one capable of freely travelling to the real world and back, it only makes sense to think of her as a traitor."

"For now," he added begrudgingly after Corrin glared at him. The young prince was loath to believe that any of his allies, especially his friends, would willingly betray him, and Lilith would be at the very top of Corrin's said list of "friends." Truth be told, the old knight was slowly becoming tired of the young prince's idealistic beliefs, though he admired the fervor that drove them.

Leo leaned back in his chair as he stroked his chin. "Well, if you have any evidence, let's hear it."

"Well first off," Gunter started, "Lilith is part dragon, correct?" Everyone around the table nodded. "Well, if I have the permission of Lord Corrin and Lady Azura to reveal part of their secrets, I could go further into detail." He glanced pointedly towards the two.

Corrin shrugged and turned towards Azura. "You were always our resident secret keeper," he said. Azura pursed her lips and sighed.

"Fine," she said begrudgingly. "On my behalf as a Princess of the…on my authority, I give you permission to talk about whatever you need to get your point across."

"Thank you, milady," Gunter said, twisting his hand over his chest again in that Nohrian salute.

"Now, as I was saying, Lilith is a dragon, and our hidden enemy…is also a dragon."

"You're raving," Takumi said under his breath.

"Let's hear him out first before we call him a lunatic," Ryoma said sternly, crossing his arms. "I want to hear this."

"The enemy that Lord Corrin and Lady Azura has been striving so hard to unite Nohr and Hoshido together against is a dragon, a dragon whose only wish is to see the world destroyed," Gunter continued. "This dragon will stop at nothing to see his goal fulfilled, and that is the 'greater threat' Lord Corrin spoke of whenever you met each other on the battlefield."

"Makes sense," Leo said. "Dragons are violent and bloodthirsty creatures. They're driven by one thing and one thing only: to rule and subjugate mankind…or see everything around them burnt to ash."

Corrin looked sickened.

Leo continued his speech, oblivious to the gray overtaking his stepbrother's face. "There's been history of it, actually. Though most of the texts have been lost or destroyed over the centuries, I remember there was one book in the Northern Fortress' library that detailed about how thousands of years before the formation of Nohr and Hoshido, the land was populated by both dragons and humans. Both parties kept mostly to themselves, until one day, the First Dragons suddenly decided to wage war on each to determine who should take control of the world. If my memory serves me right, one of these First Dragons was none other than—"

"—the Rainbow Sage," Azura finished. When Xander and Leo looked at her in surprised, she said, "Corrin and I met him, in Notre Sagesse."

"What were you doing there?" Xander asked. "I thought that you had to be worthy—"

"We were deemed worthy," Corrin said simply. "There was a whole 'trial' thing, wasn't there?"

Xander's lips tightened as he stroked his chin. "Well, yes…I do remember losing a good number of men to that old man…"

"That 'old man,' Azura continued, "was the Rainbow Sage, the First Dragon responsible for creating Yato, Raijinto, Siegfried, Fujin Yumi, and Brynhildr so that—"

"—if you are done yet," Leo said sharply, "I believe you may have interrupted me."

Azura pursed her lips and clasped her hands together on her legs as she awkwardly looked down at the table. Corrin soothingly wrapped one of his legs around hers.

"Anyways," Leo said, brushing imaginary dust off his lapels, "yes, the Rainbow Sage was responsible for creating all five of those divine weapons. But why did he create them? So he could fend off the rest of his brethren, using humans as cheap labor and cannon fodder!"

"He probably had a reason for doing so…" Corrin muttered.

"Evidently, history told us that even when the dragons were busy debating among themselves over who should govern the world, they still managed to drag humans into the whole thing only to use them as common footsoldiers!" Leo finished. "Evidence of their willingness to use humans as pawns are still prevalent today! Why do you think members of the Hoshidan and Nohrian family are able to use dragon veins?"

"Because when a dragon and a human love each other very much…" Takumi muttered.

"Because a dragon decided to create a blood bond with their chosen humans to grant them incredible power! Hell, if you really think about it, it's because dragons are bloodthirsty and self-indulgent creatures that Nohr and Hoshido are constantly at each other's throats. It's—"

Gunter cleared his throat. "With all due respect, Lord Leo, and despite my love for all things history, I think you made your point clear enough. History has shown us that dragons cannot be trusted since they are violent and bloodthirsty question. Which begs the question: who, exactly, is in charge of regulating travels between the real world and the astral plane?"

The silence that followed was enough to crush a man. Corrin and Azura looked at each other, both knowing what he was implying. Ryoma's brow furrowed as he stared into the crevices of his crossed arms. Leo looked like he was about to launch into another rant about history while Takumi actually sat up and looked around, alert. Meanwhile, Xander's brow furrowed even further as he looked across the table at Corrin.

"Corrin…do you understand what he's—"

"Yes," came Corrin's instant reply. "And in my opinion, its wrong."

"How is it wrong," Leo asked. "We have history on our side! History is never wrong—"

"Yes it is," Corrin said. "I read Nohrian books that depicted Hoshidans as lazy, selfish people because of their unwillingness to provide aid. I've also read Hoshidan scrolls that depicted Nohrians as savage, mindless brutes hellbent on conquering everything. Both were written by credible authors, yet is either account really true?"

Leo faltered. "Ye—but, that's not—"

Corrin stood up and looked around the table, making eye contact with each person. "History, despite having a reputation for never being wrong, has a history—er—reputation for being distorted so that what is right becomes wrong, and what is wrong becomes right. Point is, yes, dragons may be bloodthirsty creatures, but remember this: all those books? They were all written by humans! Humans. How do you know there's no bias in the thing? For all we know, the First Dragons could've been waging war on each other because one of them wanted to oppress humans while the rest didn't."

"Yes, but—"

"And besides, Lilith has lived with my for nearly my whole life! Would a bloodthirsty mindless beast become her six-year-old friend's stable hand and part-time retainer?"

"That's not the—"

"She's one of the kindest, sweetest people I know, and even when she did nothing wrong, you guys have the audacity to try and accuse her of a crime she didn't commit?"

"Calm down, Corrin," Xander said, placatingly raising his hand. "We're not accusing Lilith, we're just letting everyone know about the…unfortunate history and behaviors of dragons."

"Oh really?" Corrin asked. "Well, if dragons are so 'bloodthirsty' and 'mindless,' then how come I'm not like the rest of them?"

The silence that followed was even greater than the last. Even Leo was shocked into silence by Corrin's outburst. Azura rose up and rested a hand on his arm as she pulled him down to his seat. Corrin's gaze dropped to the table, the edges of his vision suddenly becoming blurry.

"I-I'm sorry," he said, his voice threatening to crack. "I d-didn't mean to—"

"It's alright," Takumi said, his voice gentle for once. "I…I guess we sort of forgot you being that whole 'half-dragon- thing. I guess it was pretty hard for you to hear that stuff, huh?"

Leo nodded in agreement. "I…agree. I admit, I never would've said such statements if I remembered that you were also one of these dragons in-question."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Azura asked, her eyes narrowed. "Are you saying that if Corrin hadn't been here, you would've said it anyways?"

Leo flushed. "We—ah, you see—er, no! I…I just got caught up in the moment, that's all. I said things I never should've said, and I'm…I'm sorry, Corrin."

Azura nodded in satisfaction as Corrin nodded mutely, his eyes focused on the table as he chewed absentmindedly on his knuckles. Xander rose. "Well, I suppose this matter has been dealt with, albeit in a…rather unfortunate way. It's true. Corrin, despite being part-dragon, has never shown signs of violence or bloodthirstiness except when he's needed to, and even then, its only when its justified. As for Lilith…well…even though I never talked much to her myself, she does seem like a very sweet and kindhearted girl, which makes me doubt that she's somehow the one to betray her friend and lord."

Ryoma nodded in agreement. "I concur. Lilith…has been a faithful and loyal asset to our efforts so far, and she's responsible for saving Corrin's life, when Hans betrayed him. I vouch for Lilith."

"All those who find Lilith guilty, raise your hands," Leo said.

Xander, Ryoma's, Takumi's, Leo's and Sakura's hands remained flat on the table, along with Corrin and Azura, obviously. Gunter, however, put his hand in the air. Everyone stared at him in shock.

"Gunter…" Corrin said. "How? You knew her just as long as I have!"

"I'm sorry milord," Gunter said. "Trust me, I'm just as fond as her as you, but my duties as a retainer demand that I suspect everyone, even your closest friends, as being potential threats to you. I personally don't find her guilty, but it's my duty to say so."

Corrin sighed. "Very well then. I guess that makes sense in hindsight." Gunter nodded, though his lips tightened even further.

Leo groaned as he rolled his head around, his neck stiff. "Well then, I guess that's meeting adjourned?"

"Not yet," Xander said. "Ryoma and I…have something to say, to our most recent couple."

Corrin looked around the room. "Who? Us?"

Ryoma nodded. "Precisely."

Leo groaned again and sunk back into his chair. "Damn, I forgot about this."

Azura blinked. "What's going on? What do you need to talk to us about?"

Xander and Ryoma both looked nervously at each other. "Well…the other matter we need to discuss today in this war meeting—actually, this isn't so much as a 'war meeting' as it is laying down ground rules between the two of you," Xander said.

Corrin frowned. "What…do you mean?" he asked cautiously.

To his side, Azura's hand tightened, her pulse starting to race. Were they about to tell them that they couldn't be together? What would they do if they said that?

Leo rolled his eyes in exasperation as he leaned his hands on the table. "This is taking to long." He pointed to Corrin. "You are a man, and you—" he pointed at Azura, "—are a woman. Do you see why we have to lay down some 'ground rules?'"

"I'm…not sure what you're saying here," Corrin said. "What types of rules are you guys going to talk about?"

"Just a few," Xander said. "Namely, leaving the door open whenever you two are together are in a room, not slacking off or abandoning your duties as a member of this castle to…loiter with each other, and most definitely not sharing a bed with each other until, you know…you know what I'm talking about."

Azura flushed, light red dusting her cheeks as Corrin leaned forward, mimicking Leo. "Hold up!" he protested. "I thought in terms of power, we're all equal!"

"The amount of power that each of us holds is not relevant in this discussion," Ryoma said. "This isn't a matter of us exercising our authority or power over each other, but rather this…is a matter where if you break certain rules, you'll end up doing more harm than good."

"I'm practically a grown man!" Corrin continued to protest. "You can't tell me what I can or can't do with Azura!"

"Oh really?" Leo asked smarmily. "Well, if you're a 'grown man,' as you put it, tell us: what'll happen when you two do the deed and Azura ends up pregnant? In the middle of a war?"

The red on Azura's cheeks transformed into a shade of scarlet capable of matching Ryoma's armor as she looked away from the other occupants of the table, her eyes dancing over everything except for Corrin, for once. Corrin looked even more flummoxed than before.

"Wait, what deed? What are you talking about?"

Everyone's eyes, save Azura's, widened in shock. Even Gunter's jaw dropped, though he regained his composure quicker than the rest of the room, save for, of course, Azura.

"You…you don't know?" Leo asked, his voice sounding strangely hollow yet amused.

"Know what?" Corrin demanded. "What 'deed' are you people referencing to here?"

Xander turned towards Gunter. "You…you never told him about this?"

Gunter, in an uncharacteristic moment of embarrassment, rubbed the back of his neck, pursing his lips. His cheeks became a light shade of red. "Well, in fairness milord, we were more concerned about training him to be a proper Nohrian prince at the time. We weren't…necessarily focused on that part of his life at the time."

"Wait, hold a minute here. Time out." Takumi said, making a T shape with his hands. "What are you guys going on about here?"

Leo glanced nervously at Corrin, who was still watching them with piqued interest as he leaned over to whisper in Takumi's ear, "You know, the talk?"

Takumi's eyes widened. "W-wait, that talk?" Leo nodded.

Ryoma pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright," he said, after a moment's deliberation. "We might as well do this now. All the women. Out."

"Hey!" Elise protested. "I wanna hear this too, y'know!"

"Out of the question," Xander snapped. "Not until you're older. Much older."

Elise pouted as Sakura gently helped her up to her feet. "Come on," she said quietly. "If you want, I c-can you a summary l-later."

Ryoma frowned. "W-wait, you know too, Sakura?"

Sakura flushed. "W-well, p-part of it!" she said meekly. "I-I'm sorry, it's just that I was feeling r-really curios o-one day, and Y-Yukimara s-said t-that since I had j-just come of age, I d-deserved to know…my r-role in it!"

Ryoma sighed as he gestured towards the door. "Doesn't matter," he said tiredly. "You still need to get out."

Sakura clasped her hands in front of her and bowed, before quickly leaving the room. Azura silently rose, still not looking Corrin in the eye even as he reached up to grasp her forearm. "You too?" he asked. "I thought you'd still—"

"This is not my place," she said, still refusing to look him in the eye. "It's tradition that…that only men hear what your brothers are about to tell you."

Corrin frowned. "Are you angry at me? I'm sorry if you're—"

"Oh no!" she said, covering his hand with her own. "I'm not angry at you at all! It's…it's just that what they're about to tell you is going to be…awkward. At best."

"And at worst?"

Azura pursed her lips. "You'll see," she said cryptically. And then she was gone, her long white dress wisping out the door as Elise quietly followed, pausing only to stick her tongue out playfully towards Corrin.

The instant all of the women were out of the meeting chamber, Leo crossed over to it and slid the latch lock into place. "There. That way, those women won't be able to sneak back in, and that way, Corrin won't be able to run."

"I never run though!" Corrin protested. "Well, I mean, I do, when I have to, but I never run from a battle if I could help it!"

"What do you call that day when Hoshido and Nohr met on the plains?" Takumi asked caustically. "When you didn't choose a side and disappeared into gods know where?"

"That's different!" Corrin protested. "And you know it!"

"Peace, everybody," Ryoma said sagely. He looked at Xander. "Do you want to be the one to tell him?"

"Why me?" Xander asked. "You're his birth family!"

"But you're also the ones who've known him longer," Takumi pointed out. "Isn't it usually the father's role to tell their children these sorts of things?"

"What sorts of things?" Corrin asked.

"Yes, but I think all of the members of the Nohrian royal children can agree that our father was…not an ideal one," Leo said.

"Well, if Camilla's the one that acts the most motherly towards Corrin," Takumi mused, "Then who's the father?"

"W-wait, what father? What things? What's going on?"

Xander sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He breathed sharply through his nose before answering.

"Fine," he said sullenly. "Let it never be said that the crown prince of Nohr ran away from a challenge. Even one as…unique…as this."

"Hey!" Corrin said, raising his voice. Everyone started and turned towards him. "Why aren't you listening to me? he asked. "What 'thing' are you talking about? Why did Sakura and Azura and Elise have to leave? And what is this 'deed' you guys keeping mentioning?"

Xander gave one last glance towards Ryoma before steepling his fingers in front of his face. "Have…have you ever felt…lust, before, Corrin?" he asked.

Corrin frowned. "No, I don't think so. Not really. Not unless you count those descriptions of lust in those old romance novels I read in the Northern Fortress accurate."

"What did they describe it as?" Xander pressed.

"Well, they said it had to do with a lot of flushing, wanting to give the other person gifts, kissing their hand as a sign of courtesy, and presenting them with a bouquet of flowers when offering them a dance."

Leo sighed. "Damn," he cursed. "Knew I should've thrown those old books out when I had the chance."

"You…never read…the other kind of romance novels?" Xander asked.

Corrin shrugged. "No, not really," he affirmed. The titles never really appealed to me. It's really hard to fit a book starting with the number 'fifty' alphabetically with the rest of the other books. Why? Is the way how I feel about it somehow important in my relationship with Azura?"

Leo sighed. "You know what, Corrin?"

"What?"

"You can hand those reports to me tomorrow night. This is going to be…a little difficult."

"Why?"

Xander coughed into his hand. "Well, you see…"

* * *

~One hour later~

Azura looked up as the door to the meeting chamber open. Leo, Xander, and Takumi all walked out, both looking rather red-faced and in a hurry to be somewhere else. Ryoma paused by where she was sitting and looked down at her.

"Leave the door open if you two are ever in a room alone together. Don't spend nights together. Don't skip out on your duties. Don't try to distract him with your…well, you know. And above all else, absolutely no sex. Not until you two are married. Understand?"

Azura swallowed, forgetting how intimidating Ryoma could be when he wanted to. She nodded. "Crystal."

"Good." Ryoma nodded and jabbed a thumb back into the room. "He's waiting. Now remember—"

"Leave the door open if we're ever in a room together and there's nobody around," she repeated.

Ryoma nodded again. "Good," he repeated, before following Xander down the corridor.

Azura swallowed nervously as she got to her feet, her arms a bit sore from wrapping them around her legs as she waited for them to finish. She stood up and cautiously walked into the room, where Corrin was still seated at the table. He was staring rather intensely at the table itself as he absentmindedly ran a hand through his hair.

"Hello," she said simply.

"Hey," he responded, his voice rather shell-shocked.

She sat down next to him and gently rested her hand on top of his shoulder. "So?" she asked.

"So what?"

"How do you feel?"

Corrin looked up at her, his free hand reaching up to taker her hand. "Did you know?" he asked.

Azura frowned. "Know what?"

"Everything they just told me. About how…women get pregnant, and the changes that…well, you know what I'm talking about."

Azura sighed and took a moment to compose herself before answering. "Partly," she said. "I knew…my role in the relationship, and I was made aware of the changes my body went through by Mikoto, but as for your side of things? No. I don't know much about it."

Corrin breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank the gods then," he said.

Azura squeezed his hand. "How do you feel?"

Corrin chuckled. "Truth be told? I sort of want to erase the last hour from my memories. That…was mortifying."

Azura laughed as well. "I don't think I've ever seen you so flustered before," she said playfully.

"I'm not joking!" Corrin looked up to see the smile plastered across her face. "You know how embarrassing it was to have your brother tell you about hormones and—"

"That's enough," she chided, placing a finger over his lips. "I don't want to lose my childhood too."

Corrin pouted. "So who told you your side of the story?"

Azura tapped her cheek. "It was actually Hinoka who gave me 'the talk.'"

Corrin's eyebrows almost jumped off his face. "Hinoka?" he repeated. "But isn't she, like, only a couple years older than you?"

"She's only a year younger than me," Azura corrected. "She's twenty-four, and I'm about to turn twenty-three. And in either case, if my memory serves me right, she…was an early bloomer."

"Wait, about to?'" Corrin asked. "But isn't your birthday on the third?"

Azura nodded. "Yes, I was born on March third, according to the Gregorian calendar, remember?"

Suddenly flustered again, Corrin jumped to his feet, accidentally clocking Azura on the nose with the back of his hand.

"Ow!" she complained. "What was that for?"

"Sorry!" he apologized. "I just remembered that I needed to do something!"

"Do what?"

"Ah—uh…" Corrin frantically patted his waist for something. "You'll see!" he said hastily. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Where are you going?" she called after him as he ran out of the room.

"I need to do something!" he called back. "It has to do with your birthday!"

Azura watched his patch of white hair disappear around a corner, then, shaking her head, walked out of the meeting chamber, closing the door behind her.

"Always on the move," she muttered, though with a small smile on her lips.


	8. Chapter 8

"Xander! Xander!"

Xander turned to see Corrin running up to him, his bare feet kicking up dust as he ran. Though the stern expression on his face did not drop, the crinkle between his eyes loosened a little bit, and the corners of his lips twitched. It was always a pleasure to talk to Corrin, even back when they were younger, and especially more so now that Corrin was…now an adult. Xander inwardly cringed as he remembered the awful "talk" he and Ryoma had to give to Corrin. He swore he would never look at birds and bees the same way ever again.

Pushing such thoughts out of his mind, Xander raised his hand in greeting. "Ho, Corrin!" he called back.

Corrin grinned, raising his own hand in return. He slowed down to a walk, his long white hair flopping over his eyes as he bent over, gasping for breath. Xander frowned as he noticed the redness of his cheeks. Corrin was one of the most fit members of the army, and the mere fact that he's doubled over what appeared to short run meant that he's been running hard for a long time.

"Is…something the matter, little prince?" he asked. "You seem awfully winded today."

"I'm…fine…" Corrin gasped. "I…was…just helping…Laslow…in the mines…Turns out…pickaxes…are heavier than…legendary weapons…"

Xander cracked a rare smile at Corrin's attempt at humor. "Is that so?" he mused, rubbing his chin. "I hope you know I gave him that role because he disobeyed my orders to not flirt with any of the women in the army."

Corrin shook his head. "I…don't think you've ever…worked in the mines before…have you?"

"I can't say that I have."

Corrin glared at Xander. "Well…I guess…that's reasonable, coming…from the person responsible…for creating the duty rosters…everyday, huh?"

Xander finally broke and let a smile to spread across his face. "Nonsense," he scoffed playfully. "I simply feel that based on the number of accidents that occur in the mines everyday, it wouldn't exactly be wise to have members of the royal family working there, right?"

"But…you're comfortable with making your own retainers work…in such conditions?"

Xander frowned. "Well…when you put it like that…" A short silence passed as Xander rubbed his chin, thinking.

"Fine then," he said, after a moment. "I'll see if I can excuse Laslow from his duty today, but only if he promises to never flirt with the women in our army again."

Turning back towards Corrin, he asked, "Now was that the only thing you needed to talk to me about, or was there something else?"

"I wasn't even going to ask to lighten Laslow's punishment," Corrin protested, finally standing back up straight. "I know what he did, and personally, I think he deserves a punishment. I just didn't think you would punish him by forcing him to work in the mines, though."

"Well, what is it that you need?" Xander asked, his stern expression reasserting itself over his features. "My patience is wearing thin, and I was planning on travelling back to the Bottomless Canyon with Leo to make sure the men aren't getting too rowdy with the Hoshidans, so make it quick."

Corrin rubbed the back of his head. "Well, when you say it like that, it makes what I have to ask of you seem inappropriate."

Xander rolled his eyes. "Just spit it out," he ordered. "The sooner I can figure out what you're talking about, the sooner I can resume my business."

Corrin leaned in closer to Xander. "Azura's birthday," he said simply. "I have a favor to ask of you."

Xander took a step back, unaccustomed to people being in such close proximity to him, though his frown did lessen. "Ah yes, it's soon going to be the third of March, isn't it? That's in four days, isn't it?" he said. "How were you planning to celebrate it?"

Corrin grinned. "Well, Azura told me that she's not a big fan of huge, over the top parties, but she hinted that she wanted some a bit more…private."

"Wasn't one of the rules we set down between the two of you was that there was going to be no—"

"No, we're not going to be doing that!" Corrin said. "Well, at least, not yet."

"I'm going to ignore that last part," Xander deadpanned. "But continue."

"Well, I was thinking…besides the times they met on the battlefield and when they joined our cause, Azura never really got to know Camilla or Elise, has she?"

"Not that I know of," Xander said, rubbing her chin. "Why?"

"Well, I was thinking that Camilla, Elise, along with Sakura and possibly Hinoka take her out to a nice restaurant in Cyrkensia. Afterwards, then I can give Azura my present."

"That does sound like a good plan," Xander mused, "but unfortunately, we cannot allow you to travel to Cyrkensia for a lunch. Tensions are still running high among the people regarding the destruction of the city, and furthermore, Father has yet to issue an official pardon regarding the you two's innocence. The instant you stepped foot in Cyrkensia, you'll be apprehended and arrested almost on sight."

"Though, I'm sure, based on news of your actions, most of the guards will be willing to turn a blind eye," he added, after noticing the crestfallen expression on Corrin's face.

"So…Cyrkensia's out of the question?" Corrin asked.

Xander nodded. "I'm afraid so."

"Then…what about Izumo?"

"How is that any better?"

"Well, Izumo is recognized by both Hoshido and Nohr for being neutral, right?"

Xander nodded.

"Well, that means it's also not affiliated with either side—"

"Yes, that's…what being neutral means."

"—which means any degrees or laws passed by either Hoshido or Nohr to execute us on sight won't be in effect there," Corrin finished.

"Huh." Xander rubbed his chin again. "That is a good point…but didn't the archduke, Izana, die under mysterious circumstances while you visited?"

"Uh, well, you see…" Corrin said sheepishly. "Something about his death didn't feel right. I mean, have you ever heard of a ceremony that required its performer to sacrifice something in return?"

"Well…no, I've never heard of such a ritual," Xander replied. "But that's besides the point. Wouldn't the people despise you for causing the death of their archduke?"

"Well, my group arrived in Izumo secretly," Corrin explained, "and even if people knew who we were, there's no direct evidence linking us to the death of Izana, which means they can't prosecute us. And besides, I don't think Elise or Camilla had joined us yet at the time, which means the people will have no reason to suspect them."

"What about Azura?" Xander asked.

"What about her?" Corrin asked casually. "She rarely left the castle back in Hoshido, which meant there's not a lot of people outside of Hoshido's nobility that knows about her existence. In fact, I think the only people who knows about her existence is, of course, the members of the royal families and our enemy."

"The enemy that you two still refuse to tell us about, correct?"

Corrin nodded silently.

"You really thought this through, didn't you?" Xander asked, with a hint of begrudging respect. "I suppose arranging lunch in Izumo would work, but what do I have to do with any of this? Not saying that I don't care about Azura's birthday—I do—but I fail to see my role in this plan of yours."

"All you have to do is two things," Corrin said, raising a finger. "First off, you'll have to make sure that Azura, Camilla, Elise, Hinoka, Sakura, and I are free that day."

"Easy enough," Xander chortled.

"Second off, you have to make sure that news of this doesn't spread beyond the two of us. I want it to be a surprise for Azura, and I can't really do that if you go around telling everyone, right?"

"Don't worry, little prince," Xander chuckled. "My lips are sealed."

Corrin nodded. "Good. I'm off to tell Camilla, Hinoka, and Sakura about my plan."

"Wait, why not Elise?" Xander asked, frowning.

Corrin sighed. "Xander, you know that we both love Elise dearly, but does she really seem like the type to be able to keep a secret?"

Xander shook his head. "You really did think of everything, didn't you?"

Corrin beamed. "Well, I guess all those private lessons with Leo about strategy finally paid off, didn't they?"

Xander chuckled and slapped Corrin on the back. "Well, I'll be off," he said. "Be sure to tell Azura happy birthday from me, will you?"

"O-of course."

Xander nodded and turned away, only to pause as Corrin called out, "Actually, wait!"

Xander turned back towards Corrin. "Yes?"

Corrin shifted nervously. "You know about my old piano? The one in the Northern Fortress?"

Xander frowned. "Yes, I do. You used to play on it all the time. What of it?"

"Do…do you think it'll be possible to move—"

"Absolutely not," Xander said, not even bothering to let Corrin finish his request. "Not only would that be a waste of our efforts, as well as being pointless, Father has also made sure that anyone caught helping you would be put to death. Even his own children. I'm sorry, Corrin, but I simply can't risk sending my men and mages to transport your piano back here."

Corrin sighed. "Well, it was worth a shot," he muttered. "When will you back?"

Xander tapped his foot impatiently. "I'm expecting to return by tomorrow afternoon, though I would be back a lot sooner if I could actually leave."

Corrin hastily apologized. "Sorry. Don't let me keep you any longer than you need to be," he said.

Xander nodded towards Corrin before finally turning around and striding away, Siegfried pulsing at his waist. Corrin watched as Lilith floated over, and in a flash of light, both dragon and prince disappeared.

He sighed as he looked towards the castle, up towards where Azura's quarters would be.

"Soon," he said to himself.


	9. Chapter 9

" _Happy birthday!"_

Azura yelped in surprise, pulling up her covers to her chin to cover herself as Camilla, Elise, Sakura, and Hinoka barged into her room. Azura blinked groggily and rubbed her eyes.

"Wait, wuzzhappening?" she muttered. "Why are you all in my room?"

"Today's your birthday, dummy!" Elise chirped, flinging herself onto the bed. Azura grunted as she felt Elise's weigh settle in on her leg.

"My…birthday?" she repeated dully.

Before anyone could respond, someone shoved what felt like a cupcake into her open hand. She stared at it, confused.

"What's…what is this?" she asked, still trying to make pull her covers up as possible to cover herself. Sure, they were all her sisters, and they were all women, but the door was still ajar and Azura had never been one to openly flaunt about in only her smallclothes.

Elise giggled as she bounced up and down in excitement. "It's a cupcake! For you!"

"For me?" Azura asked.

Camilla smiled and ruffled Azura's head. "She's just like Corrin, she is. Never wanting to get up in the mornings…you two really _are_ perfect for each other!"

At the mention of Corrin's name, Azura's vision suddenly sharpened, and she sat up, more alert this time around. "Corrin? Did someone say Corrin's name?" she asked. "Where is he?"

Camilla laughed. "Well, I think we just figured what passes as coffee for Azura," she chortled.

Azura blinked and stared at her. "So…he's not here?" she asked. Barring the few times she ran into him as he was moving to another meeting, or the few times she ate with him in the mess hall, she had scarcely seen him since the "war" meeting with Ryoma, Xander, Leo, and Takumi a week ago. Part of her was somewhat relieved, since obviously, whatever they had told him caused to flush and turn so red that even his ears turned scarlet whenever he even glanced towards her. On the other hand…

The longer Azura went without seeing him, or holding hands with him…or even simply by him, the greater the sense of emptiness inside her grew. Of course, she knew that as leader of the Hoshidan and Nohrian armies, he rarely had free time, but it would've been nice to see him at least a couple times every day.

Azura blinked as Elise snapped her fingers in front of her nose. "Uh, world o big sister!" she chirped. "Are you home?"

Azura shook her head. "Uh, yes! Of course! So Corrin's…not going to see me today? At all?"

Elise giggled. "Well, you'll see him tonight, that's for sure. But right now, he's too busy planning your—"

Camilla clamped a hand over Elise's mouth. "That is to say," she said hastily, "our dear Corrin is bit…preoccupied today. Don't expect to see him around _too_ much today. He's in charge of two armies, after all."

Azura frowned. "So…I won't see him at all today?" she repeated.

Hinoka tried to hide her grin behind her hand. "Oh, you will. Just not anytime soon, so don't get your hopes up."

Azura pursed her lips, her usual mask of calm settling over her features again. "Alright then," she said with finality. "Could you all please leave my room?"

Elise pouted. "Why? Aren't you going to first eat the cupcake that we baked for you?"

Azura's face slowly turned red at the awkwardness of the whole situation. "I-I need to change first," she said. "A-and besides, I don't like eating in my room. Especially things that crumble and get crumbs everywhere."

Hinoka smiled knowingly as she playfully slugged Azura in the arm, causing her to frown and rub the spot where she punched her. "Aw, that's classic Azura for you!" she said with a grin. "Always trying to stay neat and tidy, even when Mother tried to spoil us rotten. She always did hate how we always wanted to spend our birthdays alone, and she felt doubly so towards you."

The mention of the deceased queen brings forth a lump in Azura's throat, and she nods mutely.

"C-come on," Sakura said. "I-If she w-wants to change, i-it'll be better if we give her s-some privacy."

Azura gave Sakura a grateful smile as her sisters filed past the door, with Elise giving her one last hug and asking her "Promise you'll try to find us later?"

Azura rested her hand on top of Elise's head. "I'll try," she said. "But I'm afraid it all depends on whether or not I have duties to—"

"Oh, don't worry about it, dear," Camilla said. "We had a talk with Xander earlier this morning, and I made sure that you'll be free today. You'll have to try a lot harder than that if you want to escape us."

"Don't worry big sis!" Elise chirped as she saw the look of mixed shock and confusion on Azura's face. "Trust me, you're going to _love_ what we planned for you today!"

"But…but the war," Azura muttered, mostly to herself at the point as Elise flaunted away from her, shutting the door to her room in the process. Azura looked down at the cupcake she was still holding in her eyes before sighing and setting it to the side, carefully making sure no crumbs got anywhere.

It wasn't that she _didn't_ want to spend her birthday with her sisters. She did, she honestly did, but how could they even think to take a day off to pamper her when they were in the middle of a war?

Sure, reports of fighting between Nohr and Hoshido had gone down ever since Ryoma and Xander announced their truce together, but they still needed to wait for soldiers to arrive at the bottomless canyon, and every day that passed meant another day for Anankos to strengthen his forces. The sooner their forces arrived at the Bottomless Canyon, the sooner they could attack, but when your army consisted of soldiers from two different nations, with one vehemently hating the other, it was usually expected of people in a position of hers to do all she could to bridge the gap between them.

Azura flinched as a knock sounded on her door. "Hey, Azura! Are you done yet?" chirped Elise's voice. "We've been waiting for—ow!" A light _smack_ sounded. "What was that for?"

"Be _patient_ ," Camilla scolded. "I'm sorry for hitting you, but you have to understand, it usually takes women, especially one as endowed as Azura, some time to get ready and—"

"I'm almost done!" Azura called, eager to interrupt Camilla's train of thoughts. She stared down at herself, still lying in bed in her smallclothes. Her hands went up to her chest.

"I'm not even all that endowed though…" she muttered to herself, frowning.

She slowly got up off her bed and walked over to the front of her mirror, her frown deepening at the sight of the azure typhoon resting on her head. She closed her eyes and sighed as she grabbed her brush in preparation for her daily routine.

A few minutes later, the door to Azura's room opened. Elise, who had been sitting back against the wall, was instantly on her feet and was all but bounding up and down in excitement as Azura stepped outside.

Her excitement soon died, however she her eyes ran up and down Azura wearing her usual attire: a white gown with long, frilled gloves pulled up to her biceps, with a sliver of cloth stripped away to reveal part of her hip and stomach, covering most of her right leg while leaving her left leg bare save for a golden anklet around her ankle.

Elise pouted. "Aw, you're wearing that same dress again!"

Azura looked down at herself. "This again?" she asked. "I told you, I'm fine with what I wear. It's comfortable, and it doesn't get in the way whenever I sing or dance."

"Yeah, but you _always_ wear it!" Elise whined. "Don't you need to wash it?"

Azura looked back, glancing out the corner of her eye towards her wardrobe, where at least fifteen more slivers of white were just barely visible.

Camilla tutted. "Uh-uh!" she said, mistaking Azura's glance backwards as a sign of wanting to back out. "You're going to spend some _quality_ _time_ with your sisters today. We never had you to ourselves for a whole day before, so we're going to make sure you won't forget it!"

Azura took a step back unconsciously, wary of the much larger woman looming in front of her. "W-well, I know you already t-told Xander about my birthday, but we're still in the middle of a war!" she protested. "We can't afford to—"

"Oh, you worry too much!" Hinoka scoffed, throwing her arm around Azura's shoulder. "Trust us, you may be one of the most important figures in our armies, but doesn't necessarily mean that you're the omnipotent being with endless knowledge you want Corrin to think you are. You're a songstress, not a military leader like Ryoma or Lord Xander."

"B-but—"

"Relax!" Hinoka pressed. "I know you want to finish this business of yours as soon as possible, but no matter how much you try to help out by doing random chores around the castle, it's not going to make those soldiers get to the Bottomless Canyon any faster. It's alright if you take a day of, and today's that day! _Relax!_ "

Azura sighed. "Nothing I say is going to change your mind, is it?"

Hinoka shook her head. "Nope!"

Azura sighed again, mentally surrendering herself to her fate. "Well, I suppose it's not the first time my future has been altered without my consent."

Hinoka and Camilla both laughed awkwardly, glancing at each other. "Classic Azura, right?" Hinoka said, forcing out a smile.

"D-don't s-say such things!" Sakura protested. "W-we didn't mean to—"

"Alright, I admit that may have been a little bit harsher than I anticipated," Azura apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to accuse you of anything. I know none of you had any part in my childhood traumas."

"That's the spirit!" Hinoka said, ruffling her hair, and in the process, her habit. "Turn that frown upside-down! We're going shopping!"

Azura tried to push herself out of the arms of Hinoka and Camilla. "Stop that!" she protested, fixing her head covering. "Can you perhaps _not_ mess up my hair? Do you know how long it takes to straighten this out?"

Elise gasped, comprehension dawning on her face. "So _that's_ why you always take so long in the mornings!" she said, giggling. "It's because of your hair!"

Azura rearranged her habit again, making sure it was in its proper place. "Well, that's part of the reason."

"Ooh, what's the other part?" Elise asked.

"Come now, Elise," Camilla chided. "It's rude to ask a lady what she does in the bedroom." She gave a knowing wink towards Azura.

Azura's eyebrows furrowed. "First off, Ryoma and Xander laid down some _very_ specific rules about what Corrin and I can and cannot do. Secondly, don't ever wink at me again," she said towards Camilla. "I don't like it, and I still can't understand how you always act this…this—"

"Loving?" Camilla offered. "Motherly? Sisterly?"

Azura stared at Camilla for a second before shaking her mind. "Never mind," she said. Suddenly, what Hinoka just said clicked in her head.

"W-wait, shopping?!" Azura stuttered, her usual mask of calm shattering. "But what about breakfast? We haven't eaten yet! Shouldn't we first—"

"Oh, don't worry, dear," Camilla cooed. "We've arranged quite the _treat_ for you this morning. I made sure that you'll enjoy it."

"But where are going?" Elise asked. "You told me and Sakura that we're going somewhere fancy today, but you didn't actually tell us where we were going."

"It's 'Sakura and _I_ ,'" Camilla corrected, "And trust me, it'll be an even better surprise if we kept you two in the dark."

"B-but why?" Sakura asked meekly. "I thought our plan was—"

"And that's enough of that!" Hinoka chirped, dragging Azura out by the arm. "I'm taking Azura out of here first. Make sure you talk to Lilith if you want to leave. I heard she's hanging out by the mines today."

Azura frowned. If they needed to talk to Lilith in order to "leave," then where were they going? The answer clicked almost immediately.

"W-wait, you're taking me _outside_ the astral plane?" she asked.

Hinoka rolled her eyes. "Well, obviously!" she said. "I'm not trying to insult Flora's or the rest of today's cooks cooking, but what they can make is _nothing_ compared to the place we're taking you."

"B-but Corrin and I are all but fugitives, according to Nohrian and Hoshidan law!" she protested. "Even if you're royalty, they'll be sure to try and apprehend me on—"

"Oh, don't worry about it!" Hinoka scoffed. "Remember when Ryoma and Xander made their little truce together? Well, they also created an official degree granting you and Corrin amnesty from all past actions. As far as the people of Hoshido are concerned, you're at least Hoshidan again, if not royalty! And besides, just in case you _weren't_ accepted by the general populace—well, any less than you were before—Camilla and Sakura made sure to pick out a _nice_ spot for you in a…more neutral place."

"Where are you taking me?" Azura asked again.

Hinoka giggled. "That's the surprise!"

Azura rolled her eyes in exasperation, though she continued to allow Hinoka to drag her. Soon enough, however, Azura was walking besides Hinoka.

Sure, they were in the middle of a war, but what Hinoka and Camilla said was true. No matter how much she tried to help Corrin, no matter how many castle duties she signed up for that day, none of it would help the armies travel to the Bottomless Canyon any faster.

 _Maybe I am due for a break today,_ Azura thought to herself. _And besides, they said I was supposed to meet Corrin today, so maybe today won't be that bad after all._

* * *

Azura groaned as she leaned back, her hands resting on her stomach. "Oof. I'm stuffed," she groaned.

Elise giggled. "Really? After only one serving? There's still dessert, you know!"

Azura groaned again. "I usually skip dessert," she said. "Most of them can be really fattening, and since, you know, I'm a dancer, I can't really afford to put on a few pounds without it really showing"

Hinoka leaned over and lightly slugged Azura. "Oh, c'mon!" she slurred. "Every woman's gotta have a cheat day _some_ day!"

Azura's eyes flashed down towards the empty cup of sake besides Hinoka's plate. "…Right," she said, after a moment. "I'll take that…into consideration. Just…try not to get _too_ drunk."

True to Hinoka's words, they somehow managed to book a private seat in one of Izumo's most acclaimed restaurants, one that catered to both Nohrian and Hoshidan style of foods. Hinoka turned out to be an avid fan of alcohol, and immediately ordered some sake, while Sakura and Elise decided to order the largest, sweetest dish off the menu and split it between them. Camilla settled for a professionally grilled steak with parsnips, and though Azura would never admit, she did feel a trail of saliva drool from her mouth the moment her eyes set upon a fruit salad draped in mandarins with a side of chocolate-covered strawberries.

So, of course, she ordered that exact dish, only to find out that appearances could be deceiving. The plate itself was easily the size of her forearm, and was easily twice as thick while the salad was less of a salad and more of a method for people to say they're eating healthy while in reality they were bust eating probably the most fattening item on the entire menu. As a result, Azura didn't touch the salad _too_ much, though she did take a few bites off here and there. Whatever she did not finish, Sakura ate, which surprised everyone save for Hinoka.

"Eh, what of it?" she said when they all turned to look at her. "Sakura always had a thing for sweet foods, so I'm not really all that surprised that Sakura would be the one to eat all of the sugary stuff right off the menu."

As for the strawberries—well—they were _divine._

Azura had never felt so satisfied after a meal, barring, of course, the faint memory of a feast in her youth, though the memory itself was muddled by time.

Camilla leaned over and casually asked a passing waiter for their check, before turning towards Azura and asking, "So, what do you think of today now?"

Azura stifled a burp with a closed hand before responding, "I'm sorry I ever doubted you in the first place."

Everyone laughed, save for Sakura and Elise, who took an even greater interest in what appeared to be the desserts menu. Camilla wiped an imaginary tear from her eye.

"Oh, I forgot how sweet you were back when we were younger," she said. "Though, let's try to keep our childhood traumas out of this."

Azura frowned. "You don't have to do that," she said.

Camilla frowned. "Do what?"

"Pretend that everything I say is funny and worth listening to," Azura responded. "Because it's usually not."

Camilla shook her head in exasperated fondness. "Oh, just like Corrin, you are," she said coyly. "Always trying to give credit to someone else. You two are perfect for each other!"

"Plus, I think I'm like, halfway drunk!" Hinoka said cheerfully. "So you know, cover your bottom, and don't expose your head!"

Azura stifled a smile behind her hand. "I…I don't think you're using that idiom correctly."

"Whatever!" Hinoka said, taking another sip of sake. "Overturned water doesn't return to the tray!"

Camilla leaned in closer to Azura. "What…what do those sayings mean?" she whispered.

Azura whispered back, "Well, the first one was actually supposed to be 'Cover your head, but don't expose you bottom,' and it basically means being careful not to expose your weak point while protecting yourself."

"And the second one?"

"It's just the Hoshidan version of 'No use crying over spilled milk.'"

"Ah." Camilla nodded and leaned back. "Interesting."

"Why do you ask?" Azura asked. "Is it—"

"Oh no, it's nothing like what you're think of!" Camilla chuckled, taking a sip of water.

"But I wasn't—"

"One day, this war is going to end, and when that day comes, that'll also be the day that I'll finally lay down my axe, say farewell to my wyvern, and live a life spreading peace and happiness, instead of fear and brutality," Camilla said. "Did you know they called me 'The Butcher of Nohr?'"

Azura shook her head. "Can't say that I have."

Camilla tugged guiltily at her lip. "I was…around thirteen to fourteen years old. There was village responsible for a monthly shipment of ore from a nearby quarry, but a band of rebels decided to, you know, _rebel_ , and took over the whole operations. King Garon put me in charge of hunting down and executing every one of those dreadful militants, and I did. But at a cost."

Azura pursed her lips. "Was the cost the innocent lives you took?" she asked.

Camilla nodded gravely. "The militants hid their hideout well, and none of the villagers knew where the hideout was. That's when I stopped calling Garon 'father.'"

"What happened?" Azura asked, though she knew what happened.

"The militants put out the message that they were on the side of the people, that everything they did was to better their villages lives. So Garon tested their resolve. He order me to line up every last man, woman, and child, and to summarily behead them, one-by-one, until the militants surrendered."

Azura gasped, her hands covering her mouth. Suddenly, the taste of strawberries in her mouth became bitter. "That's terrible!"

Camilla nodded sadly. "There were nearly three hundred souls in that village, with an additional seventy or so militants. By the time I was done, and the militants decided to surrender, there were less than fifty."

Beside them, Sakura and Elise suddenly started talking in hushed tones, while Hinoka glanced at Azura and Camilla, the cloudiness in her eyes vanishing. Azura watched as Camilla looked at her hands.

"I killed…so many that day. It was only until I collapsed and passed out with exhaustion that Garon decided to take over. I never heard tale from that village again. At the time, I tried to justify my actions, saying to myself that it was to make sure Corrin could have a safe place growing up, and that my 'father' willed it at the time. As for the public, well…" Camilla chuckled darkly. "They…understood better, then my mother did. Most of them knew what the stakes were for me at the time. It was common knowledge that children of the court grew in…quite dreadful conditions, and oftentimes, even the poorest of farmers would have children who grew in better conditions than we did.."

Camilla paused to take another sip of water. "As I grew older, and as Garon sent me further and further out into Nohr to put down peasant revolts and whatnot, people slowly started calling me 'The Butcher of Nohr.' Even as a butcher despises having to put down his prized hog, I despised having to put down my people."

Azura pursed her lips and looked at her hands, which were slightly shaking. Camilla sighed, shaking her head, before turning towards Hinoka. "Mind if you share that cup with me? I need a drink."

Hinoka grunted, looking between her cup and Camilla for a second before shrugging and passing to her.

"Perhaps you shouldn't!" Azura exclaimed, interrupting the motion. She tipped her head towards Sakura and Elise, who were carefully watching the three of them.

Camilla sighed and retracted her hand. "Please, forgive me," she said towards Azura, Sakura, and Elise. "That was a moment of weakness, and one you should've never seen."

Azura breathed a sigh of relief as Hinoka polished off the rest of her cup, gulping. Gasping, she set the cup back on the table. "Well, that was a fun and delightful conversation!" she slurred. She pointed towards Azura. "How about _you_ tell us what you want to do after this war is over."

"L-leave it to Big S-sister to change a topic like t-that," Sakura whispered to Elise, who giggled, though it was tempered by sadness.

Azura frowned. "I'm…not sure, really."

"Oh, _come on!_ " Hinoka slurred, leaning forward to rest a hand on Azura's shoulder. "Surely, there's _something_ you want to do. You wanna get married?"

"Marriage…has never been something I thought I would live long enough to see."

"You wanna see the world?"

"I'm not a fan of travelling excessive distances, so no."

"You wanna marry Corrin?"

"You already asked me that question, and wait, wait—what?"

Hinoka grinned as Camilla hid a smirk behind the check the waiter just deposited.

"You heard me. Do you wanna marry Corrin?" she repeated.

Azura felt herself blush as everything in the room suddenly became twenty times hotter. "You're drunk," she said finally. "Come on. I'll pay the bill, and then we can all go home so you can rest up."

"Oh, nonsense!" Camilla scoffed. "You're the birthday girl today! I'll pay for it."

She scooped out a small leather bag out of—

"Did…did you just pull that out of your bra…?"

Camilla winked a smarmy wink towards Azura. "Trust me, these aren't a blessing as they are a curse. Back pains, lustful men that can't keep their hands to themselves…the list goes on and on. But one thing they _are_ useful for is hiding things. Guards usually never notice anything between them, since they're always distracted by—"

"Alright, alright!" Azura yelped. "I get the point!"

"Lucky you," Hinoka grumbled. "I've been waiting since I was twelve, and now I'm forty-two!"

"T-twenty-four," Sakura corrected.

"Whatever! I'm twenty-four, and they _still_ haven't grown yet."

"Uh…we're still in public, Hinoka…" Azura said timidly.

"It's alright, Hinoka," Camilla say coyly. "Nohrian women usually are more…endowed than Hoshidan women. Why? I'm not sure, but I'm positive it has something to do with—"

"Alright, we're leaving. _Now._ " Azura hurriedly stood up, pushed her chair in, threw a couple of gold coins onto the table, and dragged Hinoka out of the restaurant.

"Lilith!" she called.

The little dragon instantly appeared before her in a flash of light. She's never been sure on how Lilith knows whether or not someone's calling her name or if it was just Laslow flirting with a barmaid whose name happened to be Lilith, or even when she's needed, but Azura wrote _that_ part off a long time ago.

The little dragon bowed her head respectfully. "How was your brunch, Lady Azura?"

Azura looked down at Hinoka, who was struggling to her feet. Lilith caught the meaningful glance, and what appeared to be a smile appeared on her jaws.

"I see," she said simply. "Is Princess Sakura, Princess Elise, and Lady Camilla still inside?"

"We're here," Elise said, somewhat piqued by their sudden leaving. "Though my parfait isn't."

"It'll be fine," Camilla cooed. "I'll make you one when we get back to the castle."

Elise's eyes brightened. "W-wait, really? You can do that?"

Camilla smiled. "Well, making merry with the castle cooks _can_ be a good way to pick up a few tricks here and there."

"Awesome!" Elise jumped up and down. "I want a strawberry one then!"

"W-why strawberry?" Sakura asked. "I-I'm a big f-fan of mint."

"Because strawberries are Azura's favorite, and since she usually has good taste in food, that means they'll have to be good!"

Azura frowned at Elise's wording. "You…say that like you never had a strawberry before," she noted.

Elise's excitement paused for a brief moment. "Well, no, not really," she admitted. "But I'm I'll enjoy it, and even if I don't, I'm sure there's someone else who'll like them when I give it to them!"

"That's…very sweet, Elise," Hinoka said, struggling to remain balanced. "Just…make sure you don't give them to Azama. He's allergic."

What sounded like a chuckle came out of Lilith's mouth, though when everyone else turned towards her, her expression remained unchanged. "Ah, please forgive me for the intrusion" she apologized. "But I can only stay here so long before someone notices me. Should we be off?"

Azura nodded. "Take us to the castle."

"Of course, Lady Azura."


	10. Chapter 10: Under The Shining Moon

"Lord Corrin wants to see you."

"W-wait, now?"

"Did I stutter?"

Azura looked down at her strawberry cheesecake, still unfinished. Almost the instant they had traveled back to the astral plane, Azura's stomach had growled again, despite them literally just walking out of a restaurant. In fairness, though, Sakura kept taking bits and pieces of her food, which she didn't mind. Corrin also had a habit of taking bits and pieces away from her plate, but always with her permission, and he always offered a piece in return.

Azura on the other hand…well, she just kept taking and taking. Azura didn't mind. Sakura always had a love for sweet food, and the "salad" that she had ordered was possibly the very definition of the word "sweet." Azura was shocked to hear that Sakura had never had any problems with her teeth.

That being said, Azura begrudgingly admitted that the food served in the castle mess hall, while tolerable, was definitely _not_ sweet. So, because of those two reasons, she continued to allow Sakura to take food off her plate.

A decision that she soon regretted, though she didn't dare say it out loud.

"But…but I'm not finished yet!" she protested.

Selena rolled her eyes. "Not my problem," she drawled. "It's your own fault that you kept letting Princess Sakura take your food."

Azura sighed. "I guess you're right," she said, pushing her food away. "Though in fairness, you have to understand, the salad was really sugary, and you know how much—"

"I didn't come here to listen to your excuses!" Selena snapped. "Lady Camilla sent me here to tell you that Lord Corrin wanted to see you, and I did as she asked. Happy birthday, and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day."

"B-but—"

" _Good. Day_."

Azura sighed, shaking her head as she watched the red-haired retainer walk away, her red hair swaying side-to-side. Despite her harsh words and tone, Azura knew that, ultimately, Selena was more bark than bite.

Not saying that Selena _didn't_ have a bite—she did. Azura had watched her eviscerate undead soldiers and Faceless like she had been doing so her whole life, which wouldn't be unreasonable, Azura reasoned. For all she knew, Selena could actually be of Vallite heritage, since Azura knew it was unlikely that she was the only one to escape Anankos' murderous rampage. The memories were faint, yes, but she remembered more than just her mother and herself fleeing Valla. That, and the hair.

While Nohrians usually had hair that were shades of blonde, Hoshidans typically sported black, brown, or red, though there were some unusual cases, such as in the cases of Orochi's or Setsuna's locks. Vallites, on the other hand, could have hair ranging from the grayest of grays to the reddest of reds.

Azura's own hair, for instance, was azure in shade, as was her mother's, on account of them being part of royal Vallite bloodline. Selena's own hair was red, redder than even Hinoka's, which may point to her heritage as a Vallite, though Azura couldn't say for sure.

Those two points, plus the one time she had accidentally walked in on Subaki and Selena together. The tenderness in how Selena whispered to Subaki…truth be told, Azura didn't know whether or not she should feel embarrassed for interrupting them, shocked at seeing Subaki so flustered for once, or jealous that Corrin never held her so closely that way and whisper those words with the same amount of tenderness.

But then Corrin would always just do something so…so _Corrin-like_ , and Azura would, every time, without fail, thank whatever gods were out there for letting her meet him. She never thought that she would actually fall in _love_ with someone, especially with Corrin so quickly, but the simple fact that she could trust him with secrets no one else had the privilege or ability to hear made her feel _safe_.

And in a world populated by a mad dragon, such a feeling was hard to come by.

Azura sighed again as she stood up, picking up her still-unfinished cheesecake and walked over to where Flora and Peri were busy manning the kitchen. As she walked over, she noticed that Flora seemed to be a bit stiffer than usual, and every movement precise and more calculated than usual, which said volumes for the normally cold and calm maid.

"Is something wrong, Flora?" Azura asked. "You seem a bit…stiffer than usual."

Flora glanced out the corner of her eyes towards Peri, who was humming happily as she chopped some meat. She gave an almost imperceptible nod of her head.

"Felicia told me about Peri's habit of…well, killing servants and maids who displeases her," she whispered out the side of her mouth. "According to my sister, even she barely made it out alive when she accidentally spilled some tea on her, so what chance would I have if I was to do something wrong?"

Azura glanced again at Peri. "I…I'm sure you'll do fine," she said, trying to soothe Flora. "Besides, aren't you on of Corrin's retainers? Surely, that would offer you _some_ level of protection."

"That's the thing though!" Flora hissed. "I'm not one of his retainers."

Azura frowned. "But aren't you—"

"I'm his maid," Flora explained. "Being a maid isn't the same thing as being a retainer. A retainer is essentially a paid servant who has sworn to protect and serve their liege, even at the cost of their own lives. A maid is just a woman who cooks and picks up after their master."

"But you do so much more than that though!" Azura argued. "I've seen you fight before, and you always fight as if your life depended on it!"

Flora's lips tightened. "I fight only when I need to," she replied. "My duties don't extend to fighting alongside Lord Corrin—that's my sister's job. My duties are only to serve Lord Corrin in domestic situations to the best of my abilities."

Azura opened her mouth to argue further, but Peri suddenly slammed her knife onto the cutting board and shouted, "Are you done with those dishes yet, Flora? I need to put the meat onto them to cook them!"

"A-almost!" Flora squeaked. "I-I just need to finish drying them!"

Flora yelped and hit the floor as a knife buried itself in the wall behind her. "You said that five minutes ago!" Peri yelled, her normal childlike demeanor replaced with a professional fury. "If you can't work in the kitchen efficiently, then you don't deserve to work at all!"

"I-I'm sorry!" Flora squeaked. "P-please don't kill me!"

Flora sighed as she picked herself back up, smoothening the front of her skirt out with her hands. "I-if you're done with that, I'll take it," she said shakily.

Azura looked down at the sad pile of cake on her plate. "Er, well, I was wondering, isn't there some way of putting it in a cold environment so that it'll last longer?"

Flora pursed her lips. "Well, I suppose that's possible, but we don't really have any space in the kitchen right now. What I could do instead is take it and ask my sister to keep it cold for you until you come back to pick it up."

Azura raised an eyebrow. "Isn't…your sister on patrol duty?" she asked. "How is she supposed to keep it cold."

Flora cracked a small, rare smile. "Well, we _are_ both from the Ice Tribe, after all. Some say we have the ability to manipulate and use ice to our whims."

Azura mentally kicked herself. _Of course._ "That'll be perfect, thank you," she said as she handed the plate over to Flora.

"Make sure to visit us again!" the maid said. "And also, please, _please_ tell Lord Corrin to let me off the kitchen roster earlier this week." She gave another fearful glance toward Peri who was now savagely skinning a chicken. "I don't know how much longer I can last here!"

"I'll keep it in mind," Azura said before turning and walking out the mess hall.

She squinted and raised her hand to cover her eyes as she peered into the setting sun. Despite Lilith's offer to make the astral plane be light at all times, Corrin had refused, instead asking her to keep a normal day and night cycle, since it would be easier for everyone and so that it would be easier to keep track of time.

Azura turned around and looked at Corrin's treehouse, which was situated almost absurdly in the middle of the castle courtyard. At first, Azura had been completely baffled at the odd placement, but as the war dragged on, she started to appreciate Corrin's logic in having a place away from the castle and barracks to sleep.

She frowned as she saw the windows were still dark and unlit. Seeing that Corrin wasn't in his treehouse, Azura turned around and looked up at the highest room in the tallest tower of a castle. As she predicted, the room was still lit, and she swore that she saw a shadow flit past the open window, for just a split second.

Azura felt her heart clutch at itself at the mere thought of Corrin pulling multiple all-nighters in a row just so that he could see this war through to the end. Not saying that she _didn't_ want to end this war and save the world, but if it meant Corrin hurting himself, _nothing_ was worth that.

Azura sighed as she made her way up the spiraling staircase, wishing that Corrin had chosen a room not as quite high, though she could understand his logic in choosing such an inconvenient room as his study. Ever since he had first transform, in Shirasagi, Azura couldn't help but notice a few new quirks Corrin had picked up.

For example, Corrin would always pick the rarer or redder meat if he had a choice, which, as expected, befit his partial status of being a dragon. But what _did_ catch Azura off guard was his new-found fascination with gold, treasure, and "shiny" stuff, so much so that he ordered Niles to teach Kaze, Saizo, and the other ninjas in his personal elite guard how to lockpick any chest.

But most surprising of all, would probably be Corrin's preference for the open skies, which sharply contrasted Azura's preference to remain somewhat close to the ground. Ever since the size of Corrin's elite guard grew, he started to feel dissatisfied at having to work so close to the ground, to the point where he ordered Felica, Jakob, Silas, Gunter, Flora, Kaze, and Lilith to help him move everything related to the war to what would so become his study and everything not down to his treehouse.

What followed was a week of Corrin panickily gliding down to his treehouse to search for something, only for him to suddenly remember that, of course, the item he was searching for was in his study, and so he would fly his way back up to his study.

That was all fine and good for Corrin, and Azura didn't mind doing such an arduous trek to see him every time, but when he asked if they could also move the meeting room to the same tower, that was where they drew the line. Considering the fact that they only had one half-dragon in the army who could freely travel between the tallest tower in the castle and ground level, Lilith advised him to at least let the meeting room remain where it was, on the second story of the castle, to which he begrudgingly agreed.

Before long, Azura found herself standing in front of the wooden door leading to Corrin's study, and she took a moment to observe the sliver of light shining out the bottom of the door. A shadow quickly passed over it, and then again, most likely from Corrin pacing.

Without any further ado, she knocked gently on the door. The shadow paused, a series of footsteps quickly rushed towards the door, which flung itself open to reveal Corrin behind it, somewhat red-faced.

"Azura!" he breathed. "I-I—"

"Hi," she said, smiling. "You said you wanted to see me?"

"Uh, y-yeah, of course!" he stammered. He opened the door up wider and stood to the side, his arm extended. "Please, make yourself comfortable."

"'Make yourself comfortable?'" she asked. "Corrin, what's—"

All the breath in her body left her as she saw a small round table in front of Corrin's ornate mahogany desk, with a pair of candles lighted on top. She turned to look at Corrin, who shrugged sheepishly.

"What's…what's going on here?" she asked, not daring to take her eyes off the sight lest it disappear.

"Well," Corrin started, "when you told me that your birthday was coming up, I realized that I didn't have a gift planned for you yet, so—"

"So you asked Camilla, Hinoka, Sakura, and Elise to take me out to lunch in Izumo so you could finish setting this up?" Azura finished.

Corrin rubbed the back of his head. "Well, no, that wasn't the plan at first. I wanted to take you to Cyrkensia myself first, but then I realized that not only did I have too much business to afford the chance to take you out, but I also realized that the city was, well, pretty much destroyed, and that since it was situated mostly in Nohr, most of the city guards would have the authority to attack us on sight, so—"

"So you changed it to Izumo, a country renowned for its neutrality."

Corrin grinned and dropped his arms to his sides. "Classic Azura," he said, shaking his head. "Always finishing my sentences for me."

Azura giggled, something she's been doing more and more frequently around Corrin. "Yes well, I've heard from some of the women around the castle that more you love someone, the better you get at being able to read their thoughts."

Corrin rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling flustered. "Yes, well, um, I love you too, Azura," he stammered. "Speaking of which…"

Suddenly animated, he took her hand and pulled her behind his desk. He casually pushed aside a pile of paper—"I'll deal with that tomorrow," he said, after Azura gave him a concerned glance—and pulled out rose, its petals as red as Corrin's eyes and a hundred times more beautiful.

Azura took the flower, her hands slightly shaking, and raised her eyebrows as she realized there was a note tied around the stem. She carefully took the note and unwrapped it, her eyes flitting over the words written on it.

"P-part of the reason I wasn't able to see you as much this week was because I was trying to make it perfect for you," Corrin said, fidgeting. "T-the flower was the same one by my bed when I was recovering in the infirmary, and you looked like you liked it a lot, so I decided to take it and repurpose it into your birthday present."

When Azura did not respond, instead only rereading the poem again, Corrin hastily continued, "S-so I spent most of today trying to get the poem perfect, but I couldn't really do it, so—"

"I love it."

"W-what?" Corrin stared at Azura. "D-do you like it?"

"I love it," she repeated, smiling widely, tears of happiness glinting in the corners of her eyes.

* * *

 _I _dream of a woman clothed in white.__

 _She wears wings that shine with golden light._

 _Her hair is fine like that of an olden wife._

 _Her eyes hold a vision of the road of life._

 _She whispers love through the winds._

 _Then rivers of love flow to my heart and my spirit ascends._

 _I grow embraced by heavenly heights._

 _Then glow rays of warmth and light._

 _I wait only for her touch of the purest._

 _I fall to her holding of love, of spirit!_

 _We become one in loving presence together._

 _In love, we come to heaven forever._

 _Like two doves we sing and dance._

 _Love of a queen and king._

 _Love will forever last!_

* * *

"How could I not?"

Corrin visibly sagged in relief. "Oh thank gods," he breathed. "I thought it was too sappy, or too cliched, or—"

"It was perfect," Azura said, lightly kissing his cheek. "Thank you. You have no idea how much it means to me."

Corrin grinned and rubbed the back of his neck. "Glad you like it," he said. "T-though truth be told, I had the idea in my head for a really, like, _really_ , long time, but I couldn't come up with the right words, and so I was just _barely_ able to finish today."

"Uh huh." Azura nodded as she gazed lovingly at Corrin, who looked away, still embarrassed.

"A-and so, I went to Leo, since, you know, he's somehow more accomplished than me in this matter, and he told me that—"

"I love you."

"Huh?" Corrin paused and stared at Azura, who stepped closer to him. "A-Azura? What are you doing?"

Azura set the rose on Corrin's desk before looking down, suddenly bashful. "I know that it's not like me to ask," she said, embarrassed, "n-nor is it considered n-normal to ask, since it's more of an instinctive act, but…can you please kiss me?"

"W-what?"

Azura looked away, her face flushed. "I-I know that we've kissed before, but, you know, n-never when I loved you _this_ much before."

Azura's eyes widened as she realized what she just said. "N-not to say that I've never loved, "I-I always have, b-but—"

Her voice cut off as Corrin wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, his lips clamping over hers. She resisted in surprise for a moment, but she sighed in contentment as she lost herself to him, letting her right hand entwine itself around Corrin's neck while her other hand rested flat on Corrin's chest.

They remained that way for quite a time, until Corrin finally pulled away. Azura tried to resist the temptation to keep following his lips with her own, but she begrudgingly let him go.

Rising to her tiptoes, she whispered into Corrin's ear, "I love you."

Corrin blushed and whispered back, "I love you too, Azura."

Azura sighed happily as she dropped back to the flats of her feet. "That was…"

"Memorable?" Corrin offered.

Azura smiled and nodded. "Precisely. Thank you."

Corrin grinned as he reached out with her arms to wrap her again, and Azura was about to, until a knock sounded at the door. The two of them froze, glancing between them and the door.

"Should I?" he mouthed.

"It's your door," she mouthed back.

Corrin groaned and rolled his eyes before opening it, revealing Jakob, who curiously dipped his head inside. "Ah, Master Corrin," he greeted. "Your food."

"W-wait, our food?" Corrin asked. He slapped his own forehead. "Oh yeah, I forgot that this was supposed to be a dinner!"

"Well, just make sure you two don't get _too_ rowdy," Jakob said dryly. "I would hate to have to walk back up these stairs just to clean and straighten out everything."

"Don't worry about it," Corrin said reassuringly as he passed Azura one of the two plates. "We'll try to keep everything quiet."

Jakob nodded. He glanced towards Azura. "Milady."

Azura pursed her lips and nodded back. "Hello," she breathed.

Corrin grinned as he set his plate on the table and gestured Azura to sit. She did so, and carefully removed her cloche to reveal a parmesan risotto with roasted shrimp and a side of, as expected, strawberries. Corrin got a bowl of stewed beef and sashimi salad.

"You know, if people keep giving me strawberries, I'm going to start hating them one day," she quipped.

Corrin rose an eyebrow, his spoon freezing halfway between his lips and bowl. "W-well, if you don't want them, I'll—"

"It's fine," she sighed, taking a particularly large one and turning it in her fingers. "Honestly, you probably could've gotten me a box of strawberries for my birthday gift and I still probably would've reacted the same way."

Corrin mockingly slapped his forehead. "Oh, silly me!" he drawled. "I suppose I'm just the dumb male in the relationship, aren't I? Never knowing what the woman wants because she has a nasty habit of keeping secrets."

His eyes widened at the implications of what he just said. "Oh gods, Azura, I'm so—"

"Don't be," she replied. "I've accepted that I'll never be one to give up my secrets so easily, so taking jabs at my bad habits doesn't bother me anymore."

They ate in silence for a few moments afterwards, until Corrin broke it by saying "You're still mad, aren't you?"

Azura hid her grin behind her napkin, entertained at the sight of Corrin so flustered. "Of course not," she said. "What makes you think otherwise?"

Corrin awkwardly rubbed his hands together. "Well, you didn't really say anything for a few minutes there, so—"

"Would you like me to assuage your doubts by kissing you again?"

A wicked grin broke out on Corrin's face. "Yes, that'll be perfect."

Azura rolled her eyes. "You're such a koala bear."

"A…what? What's a koala bear?"

"It's a type of animal that lives in Hoshido's forests," she explained. "They don't really do much, besides eating and climbing trees, so that's why I called you a koala bear, because when they climb trees, it looks like they're hugging it."

Corrin blinked. "Oh. I see," he said. "Yeah, we don't really have those in Nohr, so I didn't really—"

"Oh, please forgive me!" she suddenly exclaimed.

"What's wrong?" he asked, almost rising from his seat.

"I didn't mean to make you so angry!"

"But I wasn't…"

"See?" she quipped. "That's how you are with me."

Corrin pouted. "Well, that's because you never show any signs of it," he countered.

"Only because we're in public," she retorted. "But when we're alone, well, when have I ever hid my true feelings from you?"

"Well…never, to be honest," he admitted. "Which makes me worry! Are you sure you're not angry at me? I can—"

"Are you still hung up on that?" Azura said, now unable to hide her smile.

Corrin caught the grin and he stared towards her, deadpanned. "Are you serious, Azura?" he asked. "I'm over here, trying to pour my heart out to you and trying to apologize, and you're over here making it into a joke?"

Azura laughed. "I'm sorry!" she said, trying to stifle her giggles. "You just look really cute whenever you're really flustered like that. I couldn't help it."

Corrin's brain fizzed out at that. "O-oh," he said, awkwardly setting his spoon down. "Well, in that case, now that I know that you're honestly not angry at me, what should we talk about? The night's still young and, I actually don't have anything big tomorrow, for once, so we can talk as long as you want."

"Well, not too long, I hope," Azura said, raising an eyebrow. "You know what Jakob said."

Corrin rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, what kind of people are we to start yelling randomly in the middle of the night? Yeah, people say that I can be naïve sometimes, but that doesn't mean that I'm a jerk."

Azura felt her face flush again. "That's…not what he meant," she muttered, before giving up.

Corrin raised an eyebrow. "Did you say something?"

Azura hastily shook her head. "Oh, no, I didn't say anything. What did you want to talk about?" she asked, quickly changing the subject.

Corrin tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Well, since we're currently in it, how do you like to spend your free time?"

"M-my free time?" Azura asked. "I thought you knew what I did in my free time."

"Well, that was before we started courting, so you may have been keeping an embarrassing secret from me!" Corrin said playfully. "I promise I won't tell anyone."

Azura stood up, and for a split second, he was afraid that she was just going to leave the room, but instead, she sat down on the tiny cot set away in the corner. "You already know the answer," she replied. "I…just find a quiet place where I can be alone and practice my singing and dancing."

"Oh," Corrin said disappointedly.

"What?" Azura asked. "What were you expecting me to say?"

"Nothing," he said. "I just thought you were going to say something like you liked to draw or collect rocks or something."

"Collecting rocks, really? What type of woman do you think I am?"

"A beautiful, caring songstress, which my love far can't be put into words," he replied straightly.

Azura blinked, surprised, before looking away, blushing. "Oh, shush you," she replied. "J-just get over here."

Corrin raised an eyebrow. "W-what?"

"Just get over here!" Azura said, embarrassed. "I…I want you to hold me."

Corrin's eyebrow rose another few centimeters. "You want me… to hold you."

Azura nodded silently, too embarrassed to properly respond. Corrin sighed and grinned, shaking his head. He got up from the table and sat down next to her, but not before walking to his desk and picking something up.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and Azura dug herself into the crook of his neck, nuzzling him. Corrin smiled gently, and shifted so that her back was to his chest, and his arms dropped lower until they were wrapped around her waist.

Azura, in turn, turned her head and kissed Corrin on the neck, just below his pulse point, causing it to race, though his facial expression did not change. They stayed together like that, cuddling and enjoying each other's warmth until Corrin broke the silence by asking, "What…do you want to do when this war is over?"

Azura was too surprised to properly respond at first. "W-when it's over?"

Corrin nodded.

Azura brought her knees up to her chest, the back of Corrin's hand warm against her thighs. "Well, I haven't thought about it too much," she said truthfully. "I mean, what do _you_ want to do?"

"Rebuild Val—" He caught himself just in time.

Azura stared at him, her eyes widening in horror before he pressed a kissed to her forehead. "Don't worry," he said soothingly. "I'm not going to leave you so easily."

Azura pursed her lips. "Please don't," she murmured quietly.

She felt a deep hum on her back as Corrin absentmindedly hummed the first few notes of her song.

"Well, besides rebuilding and strengthening relationships between Nohr and Hoshido, I want to marry you and live in a small house next to the ocean."

Azura felt her heart flutter at his words. "W-why the ocean?"

"Because you are the ocean's gray waves, destined to seek life beyond the shore just out of reach," he joked, hugging her more tightly. "And because I felt…well, I felt that would be the best place to raise children."

Azura felt her face burn as she pushed herself away from Corrin. "Alright, now you've gone and ruined the mood," she said, refusing to look him in the eye, though the heavy blush betrayed her true feelings. "Why'd you have to go and bring up talk about the future? About children?"

Corrin hastily rose to his feet. "W-well, because it's sort of my job right now?" he offered. "I-I can't lead the armies if I don't plan ahead, right?"

"T-that was a rhetorical question!" she snapped, though there was no venom or harshness in it.

Corrin faltered. "D-don't you want children?" he asked.

The burning in Azura's face intensified to an inferno. "W-why'd you have to say it like that?" she asked, stuttering. "I-I do! B-but I d-didn't want to think about such things while we were in the middle of a war!"

Corrin wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, one that she did not bother pulling away from. "I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear. "I didn't mean to make you so uncomfortable."

"I'm not," she said, then elaborated. "I-I'm not feeling uncomfortable. It's…it's just that I'm not used to thinking _that_ far ahead."

Corrin remained silent, but a deep hum emanated from his chest. Azura stared, taken aback, before looking up at Corrin and reaching up to touch his face. "I would like nothing more than to marry and have children with you," she whispered, "but we can't afford to think about such things, right now, okay?"

Corrin looked down. "Okay," he responded simply.

They remained that way for a while, until Azura broke the silence, asking hesitantly "Do…do you still want me to stay?"

"Only if you want to," came the reply.

So Azura walked towards the bed, pulling Corrin behind her. She took a moment to savor the feeling of Corrin's weight on top of her before they flipped around, so that they were in their previous situation, with Azura's back pressed up against Corrin's back and her legs drawn up to her chest while Corrin wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

Azura's hand found her pendant and she clutched at it, the cold metal in her hand counteracting the burning she felt everywhere else. They sat there, enjoying each other's warmth and company until Corrin's hand's suddenly slackened and removed themselves from her body.

Azura repressed a huff and pressed herself closer to Corrin, but froze as she felt his hands press a small, velvet-covered box into her hands.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Open it," he murmured gently.

And so she did. With shaking fingers, her hands produced a pair of golden earrings, made of gold and forged in the shape of Valla's national emblem with an azure sapphire embedded in the middle in place of the star.

All the breath left her body as she stared at the piece of jewelry.

"I know you aren't the type to wear jewelry," Corrin apologized, "but I found it in the market a few weeks ago, and it reminded me so much about you and what we're fighting towards that I had to get it for you."

"How…how did—"

"How is it in the shape of you-know-where's national emblem?" Corrin finished. "I don't know. I just chanced upon it the other day, bought it, asked Leo to run a spell over it to make sure it wasn't secretly a trap, turned out to be legitimate, and realized it reminded me of you so I decided to gift it to you."

"It's perfect," she whispered. She closed the box and clutched it close to her chest. "Thank you."

Corrin smiled gently as he wrapped his arms around her again, the weight of his head settling into the crook of Azura's neck. "You're welcome," he whispered, kissing her neck. "And for you, I would walk across the ocean to slay a god and pull down the heavens themselves if it meant making you safe and happy."

Azura arched her back at the touch of Corrin's lips pressing against her back, which sent a tingling sensation up and down her body. The two remained that way, Corrin with his lips pressed against her neck, and Azura arching her back as she clutched the box and Corrin's hand to her chest, her mouth slightly opening in pleasure and ecstasy, until finally, Azura was able to suppress her primal urges enough to pull away.

Corrin let her go, but continued to hold her tight to her chest. Azura turned and pecked Corrin on the cheek, before asking. "How much did it even cost? I don't mean to offend you making you think that I was going to sell it for some petty gold, but his is solid gold, isn't it? With real sapphire to boot, so how much—"

"Don't worry about it," Corrin replied. "Turns out Lilith has nearly an endless supply of gold bars, and all you have to do is offer her a plate of food every once in a while, and she'll give you one free of charge. It's a positive net gain, really, since you can repay the cost of the food with the cost of the gold bar. So…do…do you like it?"

Azura smiled and kissed him again, on the lips. "Like I said. It's perfect."

She deepened the kiss, beyond anything Azura had done before or had even thought was possible, and she moaned in pleasure. The two remained entwined together like that for quite some time, long enough for the sun to disappear and be replaced by the moon.

Whenever they paused or broke apart, it was for air and to grin stupidly at each other, both too happy to say any words but wanting _more,_ before resuming. Azura felt Corrin pull her closer and tighter than before.

She had never felt such a _rush_ before, and every time the mere thought of wanting to stop passed through her mind, she pushed it aside, unable to entertain the thought for even a second.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the kiss deepened. Azura turned around so that her legs was wrapped around Corrin's waist, straddling him, and Corrin's arms snaked up her back, to the back of her neck, his hands warm against the bare skin there.

And behind them, resting on the desk, the rose shone more brilliantly than ever as the moon shone itself on it.


	11. Arc 2: Into The Ground

_Seven months..._

It took Corrin, Azura Xander, and Ryoma nearly _seven whole months_ _,_ to make preparations for their invasion into Valla. On one hand, Corrin was glad for the delay. It gave the army and himself more time to prepare for the final battle, and it allowed him to make amends to both Hoshido and Nohr, as well as giving him the opportunity to help Nestra with their rebuilding, though there would undoubtedly still be weeks, if not months, of reparations and formal apologies to completely erase the scars of the war. Best of all however , for _seven months_ _,_ he was able to have Azura all to himself, and he could tell she felt the same way.

On the other hand, as the preparations came to a close, Azura found herself growing tenser and more nervous with each passing day. Rare was the times where she found herself able to easily fall asleep and not have to worry about...well, anything, really. It was during these moments where Corrin was the most helpful and endearing. No matter how often Azura found herself pacing the length of her tent, or how often she tossed and turned fitfully, Corrin was _always_ there for her. On one hand, she enjoyed his company. On the other, she couldn't help but feel as if she was leading Corrin, Ryoma, Xander, and the rest of her siblings into a trap, despite their reassurances that they trust her wholeheartedly.

Of course, there always was the fear of Anankos and his undead armies. Corrin and Azura often spent many hours at night by the lake, discussing their strategies and plans for the upcoming battles. Even Corrin, despite his tender words and warm caresses, could do little to dissuade Azura from her worries and fears. However, as time passed, Azura started to find comfort within Corrin's constant reassurances for the future, and, of course, his warm warms and gentle embraces.

And eventually, his lips.

* * *

"Corrin. Corrin!"

Corrin turned around from where he was standing on a ledge of rock jutting over the sea of tents that housed the soldiers of Hoshido and Nohr to see Xander, Ryoma, and Scarlet running up to him.

"Corrin!" Ryoma called again. "The skies above Hoshido and Nohr are changing." As if on cue, a thunderous bolt of lightning struck the ground, despite the gray sky being relatively cloudless. In an instant, the sky darkened, though a bright yellow light continued to shine from where the sun was setting.

"It seems the time has come," Xander said drily. "Corrin, what's your plan now?"

Corrin shared a meaningful glance at Azura, who nodded back in return. Pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes to gather his thoughts, Corrin asked, "Xander, Ryoma...do the two of you trust me?"

"Of course!" Xander said, looking confused.

Ryoma responded similarly. "If we had never trusted you, then why would we be here now on your request?" he added in his deep voice.

Corrin sighed and looked away from them. "Get everyone to meet me on the bridge over The Bottomless Canyon," he said. "There's...something I need to clear up before we commence this whole operation."

"Over The Bottomless Canyon?" Xander asked, raising an eyebrow. "Wouldn't it be safer for everyone if we were meet on solid ground?"

"No, if we're going to take our enemies by surprise, then we'll need to do this over the chasm," Corrin said, shaking his head. "Trust me, I know how on edge you can feel, but if everything goes according to plan, then we won't be standing over it for very long," he added, purposely being vague.

Xander, Scarlet, and Ryoma all shared a look of confusion before nodding solemnly. The two royals turned and walked back into the sea of tents, with Scarlet following closely behind Ryoma. As Corrin watched the trio disappear, he sighed and turned back around to gaze over the landscape. Both armies had been camping next to the cliff for almost three months now, and everybody was tired of living in such an inhospitable place. Despite Ryoma and Xander declaring that both nations are under a truce, tensions still ran high between both armies.

"Corrin?"

Corrin flinched instinctively and reached for Yato as he felt a cool hand rest upon his cheek. Just as quickly as he reacted, however, he relaxed, realizing it was Azura who had cupped his cheek in her palm. She tilted her head and looked at him in the eyes, her own golden eyes full of concern and worry under the darkened sky.

"Corrin, what's wrong?" she asked, not bothering to hide the concern in her normally emotionless tone.

"Nothing's wrong," he lied, turng his head to gaze back out over the sea of tents.

Azura frowned. Corrin courting her had opened up a new…perspective on things. She had always picked up on his idiosyncratic tendencies and mannerisms, but being so _close_ with him these last few months, despite them doing nothing more than sharing a few kisses and holding hands allowed her to see Corrin more than as a man she loved, but as a man she understood and knew with all her heart.

" _Corrin_ ," she said again, her harsher tone filled with the underlying message of _Don't you dare lie to me right now._ "What's wrong?"

Corrin sighed. "I was just thinking about what's going to happen once we cross over into Va-"

Azura immediately clamped her hand over Corrin's mouth, silencing him. Corrin widened his eyes in surprise for a moment before realizing his error and gently lowering Azura's hand from his mouth.

"Sorry," he apologized, wrapping his warm fingers around her slender ones. "It slipped my mind for a second that we can't talk about that place, even when we're so close."

Azura said nothing but twisted her arm around his so that she was hugging him from behind, her arms resting across his chest and her chin resting on his shoulder. Other than that, however, she remained silent, waiting for Corrin to continue on with his statement, which he did.

"All I was worried about was that...once we're in, we can't come back out, can we?" Corrin asked. "Becuase if that's the case, the instant we cross into Va-that place, then either we push on and stick it through to the end, or we all die down there."

Azura nodded, her hair ticking his cheek.

Corrin silently cursed, though he knew the answer himself already. Anankos had cast a curse that prevented all but the Vallites from escaping Valla, and even then, Vallites could only do so if they had a large enough source of water. That meant that once they were in Valla, they would be unable to travel back to the astral plane for supplies, which by extension meant they had no real physical contact with the rest of the world. And that bothered him. Immensely.

"Corrin?" Azura asked quizzingly.

Corrin shook his headm realizing that he had drifted off again. "S-sorry," he apologized. "I was just worrying again about something."

"What?" Azura asked, pressing her chest even closer to Corrin's back.

He could feel the curves of her chest pushing themselves into his back as she breathed, but even with her so close, he remained silent. Azura frowned at his maintained silence and gently pinched him in a pointed ear, forgetting for a moment how sensitive his ears were compared to hers.

"Ow!" he said, pullling away from her and rubbing his throbbing ear tenderly. "What was that for?"

"Sorry," Azura said, abashedly turning her face away from him. "I-I forgot your ears were more sensitive than mine. But I just wanted to know."

"Know what?"

Azura looked at him again. "I want to know what you're still worried about. You and Leo have already drawn up plans and contingencies for almost every situation Anankos could throw at us, and I've told you that I'm willing to give my life away for you and your task, so what are you still worried about?"

"That's exactly what I'm worried about!" Corrin said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Azura, I know that this is your fight and burden more than any of us, but…but I can't stand the thought of you being hurt while in Anankos' domain."

Azura said nothing but continued to stare at Corrin, her stoic expression threatening to crumble.

"Azura, you mean…so, _so_ much to me, and I know you hate me placing your needs over that of this damnable war…but if you were to get hurt while fighting at my side…" Corrin shook his head and shrugged, a sign that he had come upon a consequence even he couldn't wrap his head around. "I-I don't know what I would do..."

The sudden purpose in Azura's eyes was all the warning he got before she pulled him close to her and clamped her lips over his. He froze in surprise for a moment, before deepening it, fisting her hair in his hand and wrapping his other hand around her waist to pull her closer. Guided by her hand, she stepped even closer to him, her legs intertwined with his as they continued. Finally, when her need for breath outweighed her need to make her feelings clear for Corrin, Azura broke off, her face flushed and breathing heavily. She felt a bit lightheaded, but in this circumstance, she would sacrifice anything to soothe Corrin's fears.

"Corrin, I've always loved you in a way nobody else could bring out from within me, and I believe that we will save this world, but only if we work together," she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I will _always_ be by your side, no matter what happens, I promise. If we are to die fighting Anankos, I would like nothing other than being with you in those final moments," Azura whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear, even with his dragon-like hearing.

Corrin did not reply but looked away from her, his long white hair obscuring his eyes. Even so, Azura could still sense the amount of raw anguish and regret within those red eyes. Azura gently leaned into Corrin again as his hand automatically wrapped around her waist, pulling Azura closer towards him. Azura placed her head on Corrin's chest as he ran his fingers through her hair. The two remained that way for several moments before Corrin finally spoke.

"Azura…" he muttered. Azura lifted her head from Corrin's chest as she looked at him quizzingly. Corrin reluctantly looked at her, his red eyes suspiciously bright under the darkening sky.

"Azura, you are the most important thing in my life right now, and I couldn't bear to see you hurt. But I simply _can't_ let you go," Corrin said. Azura opened her mouth to voice her objections, but before she could utter a word, Corrin hastily placed a finger on her lips.

"But I also know that I can't stop you, and that you won't let me stop you," he said. "So all I'm asking you is that if you have to retreat, retreat without worrying about the rest of us, promise?"

Azura paused for a moment, thinking, before replying. "I promise to keep myself out of danger, but only if _you_ promise that you won't put yourself in danger."

Corrin's brow furrowed as he opened his mouth to reply. "Azura! You know that as the leader of this army, I have to put myself on the front lines, if only to boost morale, if nothing less!" he objected.

Azura pushed herself away from and placed her hands on his lips as she glared at him sternly. "Promise?" she said.

Corrin sighed and pushed his hair out of his face. "F-fine. I promise to keep myself out of harm's way, if I can help it."

"And that you won't engage Anankos by yourself."

"And that I won't fight Anankos by myself," Corrin repeated dully. Azura nodded.

"You may be armed with a legendary weapon, but that doesn't mean that you can solo a dragon god, at least, not without your allies by your side," she said. Corrin said nothing but turned back to The Bottomless Canyon, watching as the army gathered by the bridges.

"We'd better head over there. This'll be the only chance we may have in our lives," Azura said as she sidled up behind him. Corrin nodded and took off at a brisk pace, Azura following closely behind.

As they pushed their way through the crowd of soldiers, many of whom inclined their head respectfully, Ryoma and Xander both turned to look at them as Scarlet elbowed Takumi playfully in the ribs. Gunter did not react, besides the scar on his face deepening, making him look more dangerous and world-weary than before.

"As you have requested, little prince, we've gathered everybody here. What do we do now?" Xander said. Corrin said nothing but walked to the edge of the bridge so that an arc of people formed around him.

As he looked at the surrounding people, it occurred to him that after this week, he might never see some of them again. Taking a breath to calm himself, he replied, "Well…now we jump off this bridge. We have to reach the bottom to continue."

Skeptically, Takumi called out, "Corrin, it's called The Bottomless Canyon. By definition, we _can't_ reach the bottom. You're asking to kill ourselves?"

Within himself, Corrin cringed. This was probably the most difficult part about invading Valla, besides combining Hoshido and Nohr together. He often thought of ways to convince everybody to follow him off the bridge, but no matter what he said in his mind, he couldn't seem to convince everybody.

"Lord Corrin, you were prepared for them to doubt you, yes?" Gunter asked. Corrin kicked him mentally. He had forgotten that besides Felicia, Jakob, Azura, and himself, Gunter was the only one present who knew the truth of what he was saying.

"Y-yes, Gunter I was prepared for this," Corrin lied. In his mind, Corrin realized that there was still a card that he could play. Said card would definitely lead to his death, but if it was the only way to convince everybody, he would take it without hesitation.

"I'm sorry I haven't been able to tell you the whole truth up until now, but I'm certain that you'll be willing to jump once you know why I've been fighting," Corrin said. Azura's eyes widened as she heard Corrin. She desperately pushed past the people in front of her.

"Corrin! What are you saying? You _can't_ tell them everything here. If you do the curse-"

"Wait, what curse? What is this curse that Azura is speaking of, little prince," Xander interrupted.

Corrin sighed. "If I speak the truth here, and not down below, a curse will trigger and I'll…die, for lack of a better term, I guess."

" _You guess?"_ Leo said with exasperation. "For the love of the gods what are you talking about?"

Ignoring him, Corrin continued on. "But if that's the only way to convince everybody to jump, then I'll have to do it here. Xander, Ryoma, Azura…" As he mentioned each of their names, they each flinched. Azura placed her hand over her mouth in horror. Xander's brow furrowed and Ryoma gripped the hilt of Rajinto so tightly, it squeaked.

"I'm counting on you three to finish what I've started once I'm gone," Corrin finished. Azura said nothing but rushed up to him and threw her arms around him. Ryoma and Xander both slowly nodded.

"I understand what you ask of us, but I refuse," Ryoma said.

"Likewise. How can you possibly expect us to agree to that?" Xander added on.

Corrin stared at his two brothers in confusion. "B-but why?" he stammered. "F-for everything we've been through together, do the two of you refuse to trust me still?"

The silence and tension in the air was palpable. Sakura silently cried into Elise's hair, who seemed not to notice as she stared at her big brother, her mouth open in shock. Leo took a sudden interest in his boots. Takumi fidgeted with the knot in his belt. Finally, it was Scarlet who spoke up.

Laughing, she walked up to Corrin and slugged him in the arm. "Ya big goofball. Can you really not figure out what your family is trying to tell you? They want you to _order_ them to jump off this bridge, not ask nicely."

Corrin stared at her, rubbing his arm. "W-what do you mean?"

"Corrin. Listen to us. You've earned out trust long ago, and we've decided to trust you, no matter what. Now, you need to trust us; trust that we, your family, will follow your orders, no matter how preposterous they may seem," Ryoma said. Besides him, Xander nodded.

"Exactly. If we had doubted you for even a second, Corrin, we would have never come here to begin with," he added on.

"You're my little brother, Corrin," Camilla said. "We wouldn't turn our backs on you, especially now."

Corrin simply stood there, staring at his siblings. "Y-you…"

In his arms, Azura suddenly stiffened and backed away, her eyes wide in fear. "Corrin, we need to hurry. I sense something…strange from below us." Corrin shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

"I understand," Corrin said, nodding. "It's time to make your choice!" he suddenly shouted, tearing Yato from its sheath and pointing it towards the edge. "Everybody, jump off the bridge and down into the canyon! This is the path to peace, and the first step towards achieving peace between Hoshido and Nohr!"

Leo and Takumi both gave their own shouts of approval. Ryoma and Xander nodded and placed a hand on both of Corrin's shoulders before leaping off. Azura planted a quick kiss on his cheek before turning and hurling herself off the platform. Soon, only Scarlet and Corrin were left on the bridge. Scarlet muttered to herself as she tried to fasten something to her breastplate.

Sheathing Yato, Corrin turned to her. "What's that? What are you doing, Scarlet?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing much. It's just an old Chevois custom. Whenever one of us faces some huge, monumental event, its tradition to pin on a flower," she explained. "You're a special bud, Lord Corrin. Getting everybody to follow you is quite something, but not as special as Lord Ryoma!" she exclaimed before teasingly patting his cheek and jumping off the bridge. Corrin looked after her with a look of confusion on his face before shaking his head and following her off the bridge.

* * *

Unlike his first time entering Valla this way, this time, he knew what was going to happen. The first time, he had panicked; screaming as he flailed his arms and legs around as Azura looked back at him, amusement faint upon her face. This time, he knew what would happen. Corrin looked up, the narrow bridge he had stood on just a few seconds before was nothing more than a small speck of black against the darkening sky. Corrin noted in the back of his mind that the chasm looked less and less like ravine, but more and more like that of a dragon's jaws.

In the corner of his vision, a black figure separated itself from the cliff shadows and glided towards him. Suddenly, a booming voice echoed all around him.

" _I AM THE FORGOTTEN DRAGON,_ " the voice boomed. " _THE BETRAYED KING. THE ENTOMBED GOD."_

The figure reached out with a hand, a purple flame accruing in its palm. " _IN THE NAME OF THE KING OF VALLA, I SENTENCE YOU…TO DEATH!"_ The figure cast back its arm and hurled the flame at Corrin. The ball of fire hit him squarely in the chest, throwing him back and nearly onto the cliff wall.

Corrin's dragon wings shifted out of his back and propelled him away from the wall. Corrin's eyes widen as he realized that the purple fire was slowly spreading across his body. He desperately tried to pat down the flames. Eventually, the fire died out, though it left behind an acrid scent.

 _Who the hell was that? That didn't happen the first time? And how did he say Valla's name without dying?_ Corrin wondered. Corrin looked around him for the shadowy figure, so that he could defend himself from further attacks. Suddenly, a purple light appeared below him. Corrin turned to see that the shadowy figure had drawn a sword made of the same purple flames that it had thrown at him.

The shadowy figure pointed the tip of the sword at Corrin and cast its arm back in preparation for an upward slash. Corrin knew deep within him that the blow would connect, and the image of Azura's face smiling flashed through his mind before a hand wrapped around his arm.

"Corrin! Watch out!" Scarlet shouted as she flung him above her. Scarlet's eyes widened a split second before the ethereal sword slashed her from shoulder to hip. She knew the wound was immediately fatal.

The flower she had pinned on just a few seconds ago burst into purple flames as the shadowy figure disappeared. Above her, Corrin yelled her name and reached out towards her with a single hand. None of that mattered now, though. Everything was slowly turning gray…slowly turning black…

" _Scarlet! No!"_ Corrin screamed. Blood splashed onto his face and limbs as they continued to fall. _Scarlet's_ blood. The figure suddenly vanished, as Corrin transformed his left arm into a dragon mouth and shot a ball of boiling water at it. Below him, a white light slowly grew in size and intensity

The water flew past the void where the figure had just occupied and splashed against the ravine's wall. Corrin twisted to avoid the searing water as he continued to hurl towards the light. To his right, Scarlet continued to fall silently, her eyes still open as she gazed into some unknowable land. On her chest, nothing remained of the flower but a shriveled black stem, which quickly turned into ash and was whisked away by the winds.

 _Scarlet…_

He had never known her that well, but Corrin cared deeply for all of his allies, whether or not they hated him or not. To lose somebody so early, it was beyond cruel.

The light below him grew brighter.


	12. Chapter 12

Corrin groaned as he tried to sit up. This was the second time he had ever traveled to Valla using the "jump off of a bridge and hope the canyon wall doesn't kill you" method. Every other time he traveled here, he had Azura create that portal thing in the water and used that instead. Sure, the portal method was definitely a lot shorter but a lot more jarring, but Corrin would have taken that over using the cliff method. Corrin tried to stand up but ended back up on his knees, the world swirling crazily around him. In the corner of his vision, he thought he saw a flash of red armor. Corrin's eyes widened as he realized who it was.

"Scarlet?" he asked, the small flicker of hope in his voice dying when she did not respond. Crawling over to her, he held her in his arms as he desperately tried to find a pulse on her neck.

"No! This can't be happening! Answer me, Scarlet!" Corrin shouted desperately. "You can't die, not now! Don't you dare give up on me and Ryoma!" Corrin sat there numbly, waiting for her to respond, or move, or give any indication that she was still alive and well.

She did not answer

Corrin collapsed, Scarlet's body falling to the floor with a rough crash as she rolled off of Corrin's arms and legs. Corrin stared at his hands, still wet from Scarlet's blood when she took the hit that was meant for him.

Oh gods, that was meant for me! If she hadn't…

The dragon within him threatened to rise again, the same way it had when his mother died, but Corrin stubbornly pushed it back, his dragonstone helping to quench some of the dragon's rage. Now wasn't the time for him to lose his head at the death of an ally.

No. Not just an ally, but a friend.

In his heart, Corrin knew that they were in the middle of a war. Death was unavoidable. Friendships would fall apart. Longtime allies could be killed in the blink of an eye, but he didn't think it would happen so soon.

"Oh, Scarlet…What am I going to tell Ryoma?" Corrin muttered to himself, a single stream of tears flowing over his cheeks..

He just as quickly wiped it away and silenced himself. It would not do for him to be crying and bawling in the middle of a forest. His hands shaking, Corrin reached up to Scarlet's face and closed her eyes and placed her hands over her chest, so that it looked as if she were sleeping.

"I'll kill Anankos myself if I have to, I swear it," Corrin muttered, his fists clenched. Corrin closed his eyes and turned away from the sight of his friend.

"Goodbye...Scarlet..." he whispered, before walking away.

Corrin wasn't sure how long he had been walking until he heard a scream echoing in the distance. Corrin instantly drew Yato from its sheath up as he looked around, trying to find out where the sound came from. Red eyes were cast around the area, searching for potential dangers and enemies, as well as just trying to take in the surroundings. He was in a forest clearing, with a giant stone statue to the right. Despite the constant light in Valla, there was no sun, which meant it was near impossible for him to determine where North or South was. Set in the ground around the statue were six circular pads.

Corrin warily approached the pads. He had fell for his own share of traps before. For some reason, he felt a certain resonance from with those pads, so he picked up a nearby stone with odd blue and red markings on it and threw it into the pad closest to him. With a flash of light, it disappeared. A rock suddenly fell from above and came to a stop in front of Corrin. Picking up the rock, Corrin turned it over, revealing the exact same markings as before.

So these pads have some sort of teleportation spell on them...

It was at that moment that two Vallite archers sidled up from behind a tree and pointed their arrows straight at him. Corrin froze mid-step as he put his hands up, though he knew, judging from their blank stares, that mercy wasn't an option here. For a moment, neither party moved, both wary of what the other party would do.

Corrin subtly slid his hand into his tunic, trying to reach for his dragonstone. The archer on the left rotated his foot, the dirt scraping underneath its boots. The archer on the right readjusted his grip on the arrow he held in his left hand. They continued to stare at each other, neither party moving.

Suddenly, an arm appeared around one of the archer's neck, yanking him backwards, and the archer opened his mouth in a silent scream as a sword blade erupted from his chest. It wasn't just any sword though, it was…

"Xander!"

At the same time, a flash of lightning sounded and the second archer fell to the ground, blackened. The smell of burnt flesh pervaded the courtyard.

"Ryoma?" he asked. Xander and Ryoma, for of course it was they, stepped over the bodies of the two archers. Corrin noticed that Ryoma had a nasty cut running across his cheek, and that his nose was bleeding

"Don't let your guard down, Corrin!" Ryoma shouted as he prepared Raijinto in preparation for another enemy.

"More are coming," Xander said as he pointed Siegfried at something behind Corrin. Out of the trees burst two more Vallites, axes in hand as they charged towards the trio.

Ryoma and Xander both readied their respective weapons and Corrin twirled Yato in preparation for combat. Suddenly, Gunter rode onto the scene, a scowl on his scar-ridden face as he impaled a berserker mid-air with his lance. Azura jumped, pirouetted, and speared the other berserker with her naginta.

"Azura! Gunter! You all made it!" Corrin exclaimed, smiling. Gunter said nothing but nodded as he patted his horse. Azura ran up towards Corrin.

"Thank goodness!" Azura said. "I'm glad to see you safe!"

"Azura! Are you hurt?" Corrin responded. Before the two could so much as embrace, Xander raised his sword pointed towards some faraway point.

"Xand-?"

There, in the distance, standing upon a hill, stood a single figure. As they watched, the figure raised his arms and cast a spell towards them. Without thinking, Corrin grabbed Azura and hurled her off to the side, shielding her body with his own in case the spell was dangerous. Xander and Ryoma did the same. As the orb approached them, it split into six parts, each landing in a different area. As Corrin and Azura watched, a Vallite appeared where each orb landed, drawing their weapons and fixing them with a blank stare as they stalked towards them.

"That mage must be the one summoning all of these enemies," Azura shouted from underneath Corrin's body. Corrin said nothing but releases Azura as he readied Yato for battle.

"Then we fight through them and kill him," Xander said. Ryoma nodded gravely beside him.

Ryoma charged at the Vallite closest to him, shouting a warcry as he did so. Xander readied his sword in a defensive stance as he edged closer towards the Vallite, who in turn edged away from him. Gunter's charger reared and pawed the ground as Gunter leveled his lance towards the two Vallites in front of him. The remaining two Vallites turned their gazes upon Corrin and Azura, drawing their swords as they stalked towards them.

"Azura, get behind me," Corrin ordered.

"But, Corrin! I can-"

"Get behind me," Corrin repeated, his voice steely calm and level. Azura hastily obeyed. Whenever Corrin got that steely edge in his tone, it probably meant he was deadly focused.

Corrin let out a roar and stabbed with Yato. The Vallite tried to avoid the move, but was too slow and fell with a dull thud as Corrin pulled out Yato from its gut. Corrin then turned on the last remaining Vallite, who was trying to edge around him to get at Azura. Corrin did not hesitate when he transformed his free hand into a spear-like appendage and impaling the Vallite through the chest. The Vallite silently crumpled to the floor. Corrin stared for a second as he tried to catch his breath.

Azura tapped Corrin on the shoulder. Corrin flinched at the sudden contact, but turned to face Azura.

"Corrin? A-are you hurt? What's wrong?" Azura asked, concern evident in her voice. Corrin looked away, towards the hill where the figure still stood and glared at him.

"Now's not the time. I'll explain after this, alright?" Corrin replied.

Azura blinked, confused. "Oh. Um, alright, if you say so." Pointing at the figure, Azura said, "If we want to get to that mage, we're going to have to get past this barrier in front of us."

Raising an eyebrow, Corrin pointed at the stature. "What barrier? You mean, this statue in front of us is a barrier?"

Azura nodded. "Yes. You see those circular pads around the statue? Those are teleportation runes, designed to transport us where they lead. There's another one underneath the stature."

"But how do we get rid of this barrier…statue…thing?" Corrin replied, his red eyes casting over the statue.

Azura closed her eyes. "I'm sensing dragon veins nearby…within a series of forts. I'm guessing those veins can help us get rid of the barrier," she said.

Ryoma walked up behind them, Rajinto's blade covered in blood. "If that is true, we'll have to attack each fort head on. We don't have enough time for scouting out a less risky tactic if we also want to help our allies," he said gruffly.

Corrin and Azura nodded. "Wait, where is everybody? I thought everybody jumped together?" Corrin asked.

Xander grimaced. "We may have all jumped together, but each of us woke up with only a few allies next to each. Most of the army is scattered all over the place, and we've been forced to deal with all these…enemies the whole time."

Corrin frowned. "We don't have enough time to go through each pad and rescue everybody. If we focus on rescuing one group, the rest may be killed," he said. Suddenly, Corrin's face lit up as he came up with an idea. He pulled his dragonstone out of his tunic, the blue orb warm against his skin. Turning to Azura, Ryoma, Gunter, and Xander, he said, "You all may want to back a little bit."

Gunter raised an eyebrow and Ryoma and Xander looked at each other in confusion, a habit that they seemed to do more and more often. Only Azura realized what he was about to do.

"Quickly! Everybody! Get back!" she shouted. Ryoma, Gunter, and Xander hastily ducked behind a small wall a few feet away as Corrin took a necklace out of his tunic.

Corrin gripped the necklace tightly in one fist as he closed his eyes in concentration. Normally, Corrin never transformed into a dragon outside of combat, and even then, he only stayed as a dragon for less than a minute at a time. Every time he was in his draconic form, he could feel the dragon's consciousness eating away at his own, threatening to overwhelm his own fragile human consciousness. It wasn't easy to live with, but he always regained control in the end. With a geyser of water erupting from beneath his feet, Corrin transformed. Besides Azura, Ryoma drew a sharp breath and drew Rajinto halfway out of its sheath before Xander placed a hand on his shoulder, urging him to stay down. Azura looked away from her brothers towards the dragon.

She wasn't the only one who had a fear of Corrin's draconic form. Takumi often had nightmares about Corrin's dragon form, though Azura believed that his nightmares consisted more about Mikoto's death. Sakura was the only Hoshidan sibling besides Hinoka who was fine with his draconic form, though Sakura had a habit of turning paler than the moon whenever Corrin transformed. The dragon reared back its head and let out a baying cry, its gray metallic false-jaw opening as it roared. Azura was dimly aware that the fighting in the distance stopped for several seconds, before continuing. The dragon pawed at the ground before turning to look at where the four of them were hiding. Azura's blood froze for a moment before the dragon suddenly reared, a thick smoke billowing out from underneath it, its silhouette shrinking. Within the smoke, Azura saw a white flame burning before fading out.

Where the dragon once stood knelt Corrin, who was gasping and grabbing his head. Azura jumped over the wall and slowly walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Corrin? Are you alright?" she asked. Corrin nodded before pushing himself back up

"Lord Corrin. What did you do?" Gunter asked.

"I thought it was obvious? I gave away our position so that our allies will know where to find us," he explained. Gunter frowned with disapproval.

"Yes well, now our enemies know we are here as well. Forgive me for this outburst, Lord Corrin, but in my personal opinion, such a tactic was unwarranted and risky."

Corrin opened his mouth to protest before Ryoma stiffened suddenly. "Wait. Where is Scarlet?"

Corrin shifted uneasily as Gunter and Xander looked around in confusion. Azura frowned as she connected the dots in her head. She placed a hand on Ryoma's forearm.

"Ryoma…I don't-"

She was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Leo and Takumi, Silas, Elise, Sakura, and the rest of the royal siblings' retainers. They all let out a collective groan as some fell to their knees, obviously wounded. Leo's horse collapsed to the side and its rider fell onto the ground as its sides heaved, trying to take in huge gulps of air. Takumi winced as Elise ran a hand over a wound on his leg. Sakura gave a quick hug to Corrin before returning to Leo's side to heal a nasty looking gash across his forehead. A few dozen random soldiers also came out of the pads. Corrin walked up to Takumi and knelt down next to him.

"Takumi…what happened? Where's the rest of us?" Corrin whispered. Takumi looked at him, his gray hair frayed and covered with blood.

"I…I don't know," he said, his eyes glassy and unfocused. "We all landed in different areas, and we all got separated as soon as those…things attacked us." Takumi groaned as the wound on his leg magically sealed itself shut, courtesy of Elise's magic.

Takumi cast a quick glance towards Elise in appreciation before turning back to Corrin. "I don't know where the rest of the army is, if that's what you're asking. I think…I'm afraid we're all that's left."

Corrin cursed, startling Takumi. Corrin wasn't known to lose his temper or use such language even in the direst of times. Corrin walked over and stood in front of the giant statue and glared up at its serene face. The statue's face was mostly eroded, but one could still see the distinct smile and eyes on its face. Corrin scowled as he put a hand on a nearby pillar.

Scarlet was dead. All of his friends were grievously hurt. The rest of army was missing, probably surrounded by Anankos' forces. All the months planning with Azura and Leo. All worthless. None of it mattered. Scarlet was killed before the campaign had even started. Takumi was hurt. Leo was hurt. Sakura and Elise were both at their limits. Laslow, Odin, and Selena huddled together underneath a tree, talking in hushed tones.

Maybe we should admit defeat...

It was the first time the thought had ever occurred to him. Anankos may have a limitless number of servants at his disposal, but there was no way that even he would be able to track them down. Azura had mentioned lands in Valla that were far enough from Anankos where it was theoretically possible for them to escape to fertile forests where nobody could track them down.

The idea made him sick to even consider, however. He would be abandoning Scarlet, Ryoma, Xander, and all those who gave their lives to see this day happen. He knew with utter certainty that despite her feelings for him, Azura would never consider abandoning their friends to run away with him.

No. There has to be a way where we win.

"Corrin?"

Corrin turned to see Leo, Laslow, Odin, Selena, and Azura walking up to him. Azura automatically stood next to Corrin's side, her hand automatically wrapping around his. Despite the grim situation, Corrin squeezed her hand, grateful that she was safe, at least. Laslow grimaced as Odin and Selena gently set him down on a nearby log. Leo knelt in front of Corrin and took a piece of parchment out from under his armor.

"What's this?" Corrin asked. Leo couldn't help but smirk, despite the grim situation.

"Well, you see, I've been working on perfecting a spell that allows me to create a perfect map of our surroundings by casting it on different individuals in different parts of the land. The spell then creates a real life paper map with all of the features each that individual noticed," Leo said, his voice ragged.

"Wait, hold on," Corrin said, raising a hand. "So what you're saying, is that by casting this…spell thing….on our allies, you're able to use their memories to create a map?"

Leo nodded. "Yes! Finally, somebody who understands! I had to explain this concept nearly three times before Azura understood!"

Azura glared at Leo, who hastily added on, "I mean, this was a pretty hard spell to grasp at first, even for the most outstanding scholars."

Corrin rubbed his eyes tiredly. "So you know the layout of the surrounding land?"

Leo nodded again. "Yes. Not only do we know the land around us, the map also indicates what seems to be a series of forts located on the islands around us. Eight of them, to be precise."

Corrin looked towards Azura, comprehension dawning on both of their faces. "Azura, didn't you say that…"

"…that there were dragon veins inside those forts," she finished. Leo looked at them in confusion.

"Wait, dragon veins? Like, the kind that only descendants of the dragons can use and are capable of shifting the land and environment at will?"

Corrin nodded. "Yes, those kinds of dragon veins. I'm guessing that since there's eight forts, there's also eight dragon veins that we'll need to activate."

"Yes," Azura agreed. "But we just don't have enough time or men to focus all of our forces on each individual fort."

Leo nodded in agreement. "I concur. If we send all of our forces, that mage," Leo pointed at the figure, "may just decide to have the rest of her forces converge here, in front of the statue. If that happens, then it'll be impossible for us to retake this island, especially since these teleportation pads can only transport one person at a time, and requires a 'cool down,' of sorts, after each use.

Corrin frowned as he rubbed his chin. If he had a beard, he would have undoubtedly stroked it. "So we'll have to split up if we want to activate the dragon veins. Yet we need to leave enough warriors back here on this island to maintain our position?"

Leo nodded. "Yes. If I were I your position, I suggest creating a strike force consisting of at least one healer, at least one person capable of activating the dragon vein, and a group of warriors to protect them."

Corrin nodded. "Ah, I guess that…makes sense…sort of."

Leo then pulled out a small baton and pointed at a section of the map. "We should have at least three groups attacking the forts, with one group staying behind to hold the fort, metaphorically, of course. We'll also need another group, consisting mainly of fliers, such as pegasi and wyverns. This group should be responsible for providing immediate relief and support to the other groups."

Leo crossed his arms as he looked down at the map. "Of course, we'd need to warn them about getting too close to the forts. Most of them would undoubtedly be manned by at least a dozen archers or mages."

Corrin let out a chuckle, though there was no mirth in it. "Ah…Leo…what would I ever do without you?" he asked.

Leo raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'what would you do without me?'" he asked. "If I wasn't here, you'd still be punching the stuffing out of every pillar here."

Corrin laughed. "Alright, maybe. Leo, can you go and rally the men? Tell them the plan, and tell them to rest up and get their wounds treated before we move out."

Leo shook his head. "My apologies, brother, but you are this army's figurehead, not me. I'm happy to give you advice on war strategies, but that's about it, I'm afraid."

Corrin frowned. Leo's eyes softened as he put a hand on his shoulder. "Take heart, Corrin. There may be a way out of this yet."

Corrin glared at him. "How so?" he snapped. Leo blinked in confusion, put-off by his brother's sudden anger. "How is there going to be a way out of this? There's barely a hundred of us here, and half of said hundred are wounded to the point where they can't even fight! As for the rest of the armies, both just vanished! Kaput! Gone!" Corrin jabbed a finger into Leo's shoulder, causing him to take a step backwards.

"The rest of the army isn't gone, Corrin!" Leo snapped, his voice sharp.

"And how do you know that?" Corrin snapped back, his voice equally sharp.

Leo sighed. "I don't know how I know it, but I have a feeling that there's something out there…manipulating the flow of energy in this land. I'm sure that the rest of the army landed together in one place, and that something separated us from the rest of the army on purpose."

Corrin frowned. "So you're saying that someone forced this group to land here separated from the rest of the army?"

Leo nodded. "That's what I think. Again, I can't explain it, it's just a feeling," he said.

Corrin let out a sigh of relief and sat on the log as he pushed his hair out of his face. "So that means that…the rest of us…are okay?" he whispered. Azura knelt next to him and wrapped her hand around his shoulder. Leo nodded silently. Corrin closed his eyes and counted to ten before finally speaking.

"Alright. Thanks, Leo. Um, sorry for snapping at you. Its just that, we've lost way too many friends this early in the war, and I guess I'm just taking my anger out on you. I'm sorry. I-I'll talk to the rest of us later, then. I'm sorry."

Leo said nothing but nodded and walked away. Azura sat down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Corrin, you know better to lose your temper at Leo. What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said curtly. Azura frowned.

"Come on, Corrin. We just had a conversation like this less than an hour ago. I know when you're lying to me, and I also know when you're angry. So tell me, what's wrong?"

"Fine!" he snapped. Azura reared back, shocked by his sudden outburst.

Corrin grimaced and took her hand in his own. "Sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. It's just that… it's only the beginning of our troubles here in Valla, and we've already lost Scarlet."

Oh…

"Scarlet gave her life just to protect me, and despite that, we're still blowing it. We failed to meet up with our forces, and now the army is stuck somewhere without a leader, and probably under attack by Anankos himself even as we speak," Corrin said miserably. "Maybe it's better if I faced him alone, if only to spare the rest of our forces from him."

Azura blinked as she squeezed Corrin's hand. "Corrin…Scarlet sacrificed herself so that you can live and lead us to victory, not so you can sacrifice yourself for a cause that may not even happen! You can't think of yourself as being so expendable, because you're not! Back on the bridge, you were willing to die like my mother, all because you were too thick to realize that without you, this army wouldn't have existed in the first place!"

Corrin grimaced as Azura rapped his head with her knuckles. "You always told me that I should consider myself a separate person from you, and I have. I know who I want to be, and I want to be somebody who wants to stay by your side forever. But I can't stand by idly as you flaunt your life about because you're too used to having to put it on the line for others.

"I'm not saying that's a bad thing back when both Hoshido and Nohr were hunting us, but now you're the leader of one of the largest armies in history! This is war, Corrin. Not everybody makes it through, but we all knew what we were getting ourselves into when we signed up to follow you. You may regret having Scarlet sacrifice herself for you, but she will never feel regret for sacrificing herself!"

Corrin's head fell. For a split second, she was afraid that her speech hadn't gotten through to him. To her relief, Corrin looked back up at her.

"But it just…feels wrong to send people off to their deaths, don't you think? I'm sorry, but I can't stop thinking about how-"

Corrin's eyes widened as Azura pulled his face to hers. For a second, he tried to fight against her grip before relaxing and wrapping a hand around her. Azura separated from Corrin as she blushed.

"Sorry…I know in context, that was inappropriate, but you don't know how much it hurts me to see you like this," Azura said. "Corrin…I need you to be strong for me…for our cause…for all of our sacrifices. We can't afford to have you off your game just because a friend sacrificed themselves so that you may live. I get it. I hate living knowing that my life continues as a result of other people sacrificing their lives for me. But you're something more than just a leader of an army."

Azura leaned in closer to Corrin's ear. "You're more than the prince of Hoshido and Nohr. You're more than a kind person who tries their best to find the best solution. You're also my love. If you don't listen to me and keep thinking your life is as important as ours, at the very least, keep in mind about how I would feel to see you like this," she whispered.

Corrin was silent, and for a moment, Azura was terrified that her words hadn't reached him. But then he let out a smile chuckle as he wryly smiled and shook his head.

"Thank you…" he whispered back."I…see what you're saying, I think."

Azura raised an eyebrow. "You think?"

"Ah-that is to say, I'll keep what you said in mind, whenever I have…this conversation with myself again…" Corrin chuckled before the smile faded from his face. "It still doesn't feel right to smile so soon though."

Azura said nothing but shifted around so that her back was to his chest. "Yes…maybe it is a bit too soon to laugh, but acceptance is the first of many steps to overcoming grief, I think."

Corrin slowly nodded. "What would I ever do without you?" he asked.

Azura giggled. "Probably what Leo said you'll probably do: beat the stuffing out of every pillar around here."

That got a small laugh out of Corrin before just as quickly fading. "Still doesn't feel right though," he muttered. "But don't worry. I think I'm done brooding, for now, at least."

Azura sighed. "Yes well, you say that every time something bothers you."

Corrin said nothing but wrapped his hand around Azura's waist. For a moment, the two of them simply enjoyed each other's presence. After a while, somebody coughed. Azura flinched and pushed herself away from Corrin, who stared at the offender.

Laslow grinned and winked at Corrin. Behind him stood Odin and Selena, who grinned and rolled their eyes, respectively.

"Yes?" he asked, a little bit annoyed at the interruption.

Selena blew a strand of hair out of her face as she pushed past Laslow and Odin and presented Corrin with a rolled up piece of parchment. "You need to say this," she said pushily.

Corrin raised an eyebrow but took the letter from her, skimming over the contents of it.

Most of it the heading and conclusion were scribbled out, making it illegible, though the main body of the letter remained somewhat unchanged.

* * *

Dear -.-. .. -. .-,

First off, do you understand how much we've been worried about you three? -.-. .., -.-. -, - .. .-, and ... .-have been worried sick, and that's not even getting to the part where I come in! The next time you three decide to .-. / .. -. - - into the unknown, you come to your parents and me and tell us what're you're going. While the three of you are -. .. -.-. .- ., your minds are still that of a child, considering the circumstances - ..- -. .- - . / ..- . upbringing.

But that's besides the point, for now. I have decided to accept your invitation, partly because I still owe you three a couple of favors, but also because, as you know, shortly after .. / -.. . ..-. . ., -.-. .. -. .-vanished. I've consulted - .. -.- , -. .-, and .-. .. .on the topic of "parallel worlds," and I've deducted that such "worlds" while uncommon, do exist. It is possible that -.-. .. -. .-vanished into one of these "worlds," which meant that my stay in your "world" is only going to be temporary. .-. .-and ... . -. gave me a couple of crystals that will allow me to travel from our world to yours in the blink of an eye, but unfortunately, they only have a shelf date of only a few days. Once I arrive in your world, I'll only have a week, tops, before the crystal shatters and I'll be unable to travel back to ... ... .. Less, if I decide to do something that'll dramatically alter this - - .-. .-.. -.. .- according to ..- .-. . .

Make sure you tell your "friend" that I've already made contact with the majority of the rest of his army, and that most are safe and sound. The two armies do seem a bit more...divided than say that of the . .-. .- .-. -, but I'm sure I can make them work together. I mean, I've done it once before, so how hard can it be the second time? They've already taken a liking to me, for some reason, but I'll make sure to lead and protect them like they were the . .-. .- .-. -.

Though it pains me to see that I wasn't chosen as the tactician this time around, according to the men, they've already been fighting in this war for nearly a decade now, so it would be unwise for me to abruptly change their habits and strategies. That being said, I'm positive that whatever mission you three have decided to take on, I'm sure you'll succeed. Just know that the moment I find -.-. .. -. .-, I'm heading back to my own world, which means that unless you three are hanging on to my coat when I travel back, I won't be able to come back for you. You'll have to find your own way back.

Nagaspeed!

-.-. - -... .. -.

* * *

Corrin frowned as he reread the letter. "What? Where did you get this? When did you get this? And why is it so…heavily vandalized? What's with all these...dots and dashes?"

Laslow bit his lip. "Those said letters and numbers are a little something alchemists from our land use it to prevent their work from being stolen and copied down. Incredibly hard to create and to decipher. Other than that, unfortunately, we are not at liberty to discuss it anymore than that. You may be Lord Xander's, Leo's and Camilla's sibling, but you do not have the authority to force us to reveal secrets," he said. "Simply think about how much effort Anankos spent trying to hide Valla from us, and you'll have a general idea of how alchemists punished those who were able to decipher it besides them."

Corrin raised his hands in exasperation. "I swear, I spend more time having secrets kept from me. So I guess that you can't tell me who the author of the letter is? And their past? And why is it vandalized? You still haven't presented a reasonable explanation yet."

Odin smirked. "Alas! We cannot reveal the author's name. Not now, at least! But, if you must know, this letter was meant for the three of us! By summoning-"

Selena immediately clamped a hand over Odin's mouth, glaring at him. "Basically, who ever wrote this letter cast a spell over...certain words and phrases, as you obviously know. I think it was...part of the curse Anankos cast over Valla, that letters sent to and from Valla will have any mentions of sensitive information scrambled. But you don't need to worry about when the author wrote this letter or if you can trust him. All you need to worry about is keeping us," she gestured to the rabble behind them, "alive, and not worry about the rest of the army."

Laslow cleared his throat again. "Ah, I mean, of course, you should care about your army, but you can rest easy knowing that they are in capable hands."

Corrin raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? And what about the army's reaction? Assuming your friend is as capable as you want me to believe, the three of you know as well as I do that Nohrians and Hoshidans are not generally a welcoming people. They treat outsiders with suspicion, if they're feeling generous, and with execution and imprisonment if not!"

Selena smirked again. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Let's just say…that our associate has a knack for making friends." Laslow and Odin nodded in agreement.

Corrin reread the letter again. "So basically…" he started. "You want me to let a complete stranger, one that I have never met or spoken before, to organize the army that I spent over a year trying to get to work together?"

Odin nodded furiously. Selena and Laslow looked less certain, but nodded all the same. Corrin pursed his lips as he looked back down at the letter. Did he trust Odin, Laslow, and Selena? He never got to know them on a personal level, but according to Camilla, Leo, and Xander, they were all trustworthy people. Did he trust this "friend" of theirs?

On one hand, no. He had never spoken or seen this person before. On the other hand, if this "friend" was deemed trustworthy by the three of them…

"Alright. Fine. I've decided to trust you three on this. But answer this. Why can't you tell me his name?"

Laslow and Selena both opened their mouths and shut them. Odin managed to pry Selena's fingers off of him as he gasped "It…is because of a…long forgotten…curse!"

Corrin stared at Odin for a second as Selena replaced her fingers over his lips. "A curse," he said flatly.

Laslow raised a finger. "I mean, surely, it can't be all that far-fetched, am I right? I mean, Valla has that whole curse…thing, right?"

Corrin crossed his arms. "How do you know that?"

Laslow grinned and scratched the back of his head. "Haha! Well, you see…I think Lord Xander is summoning me. Until next time, Lord Corrin! Excuse me."

Likewise, Selena released Odin and snapped to attention. "Ahem, er, yes! I think Lady Camilla has some matters I need to attend to, so please, pardon me."

Odin straightened the front of his tunic, looking indignant. Bowing towards Corrin, he hastily excused himself before running after Laslow and Selena. Azura walked up from behind Corrin.

"Do…you know what that was about?" she asked. Corrin shook his head.

"Do you trust this…friend of theirs?" she asked. Corrin nodded his head.

"If I can trust Laslow, Selena, and Odin, I'm pretty sure I can trust their friend, based on how much trust they have in him," he explained. Azura frowned.

"Well, I suppose that makes sense in a way, but do you really trust him?" she asked. Corrin shrugged.

Azura pointed to where the rest of Corrin's elite guard sat. "You know you still have to explain this to the rest of them, right?"

Corrin flinched. "What?"

Azura looked at him with a bewildered expression. "Didn't you hear Leo? You're our leader, so it should be you to explain this situation to them."

Corrin wet his lips. "I heard, I just wasn't sure I needed to do it…so soon. I thought I would only do it, you know, after this was all over."

Azura frowned. "Wait…are you afraid of…?"

Corrin frowned. "What? No. I'm not afraid of speaking in front of an audience. I just…didn't expect to speak to such a large group…so soon."

Azura stared at him for a second before breaking down into giggles. Corrin looked away, embarrassed. "What? I don't have a fear of speaking!"

"No! It's just that I noticed that whenever you get embarrassed, your ears twitch," she explained. "It's kind of cute, really."

Corrin turned away, embarrassed. He cupped his hands over his ears, to check if they really were twitching.

They were.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: It's getting a little harder to come up with the Valla Invasion Storyline as I go, tbh. And yes, I know I was late. Deal with it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of the characters.

* * *

"Corrin! _D-duck!_ " Sakura yelped.

Corrin's eyes widened a split second before he threw himself onto the ground, an arrow thunking into the tree behind him exactly where his head had occupied a split second ago. Corrin cursed as he got up and hid behind a tree. To his right, Sakura yelped and threw herself behind another tree. To his left, Leo's eyebrows knit in concentration as an arrow flying towards him inexplicably burst into fire and crumbled into ash midway.

Corrin peeked out from behind his tree before quickly withdrawing it as another storm of arrows rained down from the fort ahead. The "fort", in question, wasn't so much a fort as it was four walls slapped together with a gaping hole in the front and back acting as a door. The three of them, Corrin, Sakura, and Leo, could have easily taken it had it not been for the presence of a dozen or so archers keeping them suppressed.

Leo suggested that Corrin transform into his dragon form in order to deal with the archers, but Corrin was loathe to remain in that form for any longer than he needed to. Finally, he had agreed to transform once they had managed to get close enough to the walls of the fort.

The only problem was that it was damn near impossible to get close to the walls without needing to hide behind something every few seconds or so. Progress was slow, and Corrin was getting frustrated by their slow progress.

An arrow suddenly streaked by Corrin's face and buried itself in the shoulder of Leo's charger, causing the beast to rear, throwing off its rider as it did so. Leo struggled to his feet, looking disoriented.

"Leo!" Sakura screamed as a Vallite swordsmen decided to charge towards he fallen mage, who groaned and feebly tried to raise his arms in preparation to cast a spell. A golden light flickered into existence before just as quickly flickering out.

Corrin darted out from behind his tree as he sprinted towards the swordsmen. He was dimly aware of the _whizzing_ of the arrows flying behind him as he raised his sword in preparation to strike down the Vallite. The Vallite saw him coming, however, and raised his own blade to parry Corrin's blow.

Yato collided with the other blade with a harsh _clang_ , the blades quivering ever so slightly. Corrin gritted his teeth as he tried to push his opponent away so that he could try again for a looping overhead blow. The Vallite did not budge, however, but instead pushed Corrin back ever so slightly, his boots grinding against the ground.

 _Blast! This one's stronger than the rest!_

Suddenly, a bright light appeared from behind the Vallite's back and smashed into him, causing him to flex his back inwards. Corrin used the distraction to separate the Vallite's head from his neck.

Leo, for of course it was he was cast the spell, nodded at Corrin before his eyes rolled back into his head as he collapsed back onto his back, his body limp. Corrin shifted his wings out and spread them out behind him to create a temporary shield from the arrows. Corrin lifted Leo from the ground as he tried to feel for his pulse.

To his relief, he found it, a strong beating jerking in his neck. Sakura slid down next to him as she waved her healing rod over his inert body.

"What's wrong with him, Sakura?" Corrin asked, grimacing slightly as he felt the _clinking_ of arrows bouncing off of his wings.

The priestess pursed her lips, her usual timid and reserved nature vanishing as she looked over Leo's body. Corrin had always found it amazing that she was able to switch back and forth her two facades so easily. Usually, she acted shy and timidly, but in stations such as these, these traits vanish only to be replaced with a strong will rarely seen out of battle.

"Nothing fatal, as of right now," she replied. "A broken rib, but that's the extent of it for now."

"Can you heal him if I cover you two?" Corrin asked, grimacing again as an arrow poked into a particularly sensitive spot on his wings.

Sakura shook her head. "I-I mean, I guess I could, but he'll still be out for a while, though. I feel it would be better if the two of us retreated back to the statue for me to heal him there."

Corrin did not even bother considering the alternatives. "Fine. Take Leo and retreat back to the others. I'll deal with this vein myself," he said.

Sakura looked at him worriedly. "B-but, are you sure you c-can handle so many?" she asked.

Corrin winked, an unusual display of levity during these times. "Don't worry, I'm half dragon, remember? Besides, the only reason I didn't transform before was because I was afraid the two of you would be caught in the crossfire when I'm in my dragon form. If the two of you fall back to Azura and the rest, I'll be able to transform freely without needing to worry about accidently hurting one of you guys," he said.

Sakura nodded as she tried to prop the unconscious Leo on her shoulder. Corrin reached out to try to help her, only for Sakura to refuse.

"I c-can carry L-Leo by m-myself, big brother. Just…worry about yourself, alright? P-please don't get hurt!" she said. Corrin paused, unsure of how to respond, but eventually nodded.

"In that case, I'll try to cover you two and distract them as long as I can," he said. Sakura nodded and started to move back towards the teleportation pad.

Corrin spread his wings out even further to minimize the chance that a stray arrow may strike Leo or Sakura. Eventually, Sakura was able to make it back to the pad, whereupon she and Leo vanished in a flash of light. On another island, a similar flash appeared.

Corrin sighed in relief before taking his dragonstone out from underneath one of his pockets. He gripped the azure orb tightly in his hand as he closed his eyes in concentration. Transforming wasn't _hard,_ per se, but it did require some form of concentration, mainly to focus his inner resolve lest the dragon's fury take over his consciousness.

Corrin was dimly aware of the smoke rising from beneath his feet as he fell to his knees, his arms and legs shifting and lengthening, his torso and neck elongating. The whole process took less than a minute, and Corrin soon found himself rearing back and letting out a roar.

He pawed the ground as he looked towards the Vallite soldiers charging towards him. In all honesty, _looked_ was probably the wrong word to use for this sensation. Instead, Corrin was somehow able to create "silhouettes" of everything around him based on smell alone. While his sense of smell was a thousand-fold times better than in his human form, Corrin found that unless he was actually focused on something, the thousands of scents would soon overwhelm him.

He swung his head towards the charging Vallites and lowered his head as to bare his antler-horns, both of which were razor sharp, towards them. The Vallites slowly came to a halt, unsure of whether or not they should press their attack on a dragon.

Corrin gave them their answer.

* * *

Azura pursed her lips and grimaced as Takumi groaned. Partway through healing Takumi's leg, Elise's healing rod suddenly shattered, thus ending the spell of numbness she had cast on him. Obviously, leaving somebody with their muscles still half-stitched was cause for a great deal of pain, and Elise recruited Azura and Mozu to restrain him while she tried to find another healing staff.

Not only that, but Elise had also instructed Azura to keep pressure on the wound, lest he bleed out. Azura accepted, thinking it was a relatively easy job compared to restraining a grown man, but Azura soon found out keeping pressure on a wound was neither easy, nor clean.

Takumi insisted on moving the limb around, which meant Azura had to adjust accordingly. Of course, she couldn't blame him for being in discomfort, but that didn't mean she was necessarily fine with the other problem.

That other problem turned out to be the absurd amount of blood spurting out from Takumi's leg. No matter how clean the rag or bandage was, within a minute, it would be sopping red. Mozu had offered to take her place, but Azura refused.

Keeping Takumi from bleeding out was about all she could do at the moment. She just didn't have the physical strength to keep Takumi from writhing about and whatnot. On the other hand, Mozu was more than capable of keeping a grown man flat on his back, courtesy of the years of farm work and hunting during her childhood.

It seemed like an eternity of pain-filled groans and discarding sopping wet bandages before Elise finally returned. Azura sighed in relief as she stood back up, trying to dry out and clean her hands using a nearby rag. She crossed her arms as she looked around.

Corrin, Azama, Sakura, Keaton, Beruka, Kaze, Camilla, Ryoma, Leo, Xander Reina, Hinoka, and Silas had all volunteered to be part of the strike force against each of the dragon forts. At first, Azura had been hurt that she was left out of the battle preparations, until Corrin revealed that he needed her to remain behind at the statue to protect the area from attacking Vallites and to set up a triage to help care for the wounded.

Azura accepted the offer, grateful that she was able to help. With Mozu's and Subaki's help, they were able to pitch a tent for the wounded while Benny and Peri tried to move as many over to the tent as they could. Elise was the only true healer they had with them right now who wasn't severely wounded, though it turned out that Mozu and Odin were both surprisingly knowledgeable about healing as well, the former of which mainly using the surrounding plants and herbs to help alleviate the pain felt by the wounded.

After drying out and cleaning her hands, Azura made her way to the statue and looked up at its eroded features. An hour ago, three or four bright lights can erupted from the forts and crashed into the statue, knocking off both of its arms and cracking the base. Despite the damage, the statue was still intact enough to refuse any efforts to destroy through conventional means.

Azura knew what the lights meant, that it signaled the success of the strike force's efforts in activating the dragon veins. There was supposed to be about eight dragon veins, and so far, Azura had only counted six. She continued to stare at the statue before a brilliant light appeared from behind her, causing her to turn around.

Sakura and Leo both suddenly appeared out of the teleportation rune. Azura rushed to Sakura's side to help her with Leo as she waved over Benny and Mozu, who was done treating Takumi. She looked over at Leo, gently lifting his chin as she looked for any wounds.

To her relief, there was no serious wounds, but despite that, he looked absolutely terrible. His breath came ragged, and there was a nasty bruise on his cheek. Sakura herself wasn't off much better. Her kimono was torn at the edges in several places and his hands and hair was matted with dirt and sticks.

"What happened?" she asked.

Sakura shook her head as she tried to focus. "Oh, um, a-an arrow h-hit L-Leo's horse and it t-threw him off. H-he has a f-f-few broken ribs, though. H-he's hurt, but I-I wasn't able to heal him on the s-spot, so Corrin a-asked me to bring him here," she whimpered.

" _What?_ Corrin's alone?" she asked incredulously.

Sakura flinched but nodded her head. "L-Leo wanted us to get closer to the fort b-before he wanted Corrin to t-transform. A-after Leo got knocked o-out, Corrin s-said that if the two o-of retreated here, he wouldn't n-need to w-worry about hurting us by a-accident," she explained.

Azura scowled in frustration. Of course, from a strategic standpoint, such a strategy would make sense, but did he _have_ to attack a fort by _himself_? Azura helped Leo over to the tent, whereupon she immediately turned around, grabbed her naginta, and walked towards the teleportation rune. Sakura eyes widened as she realized what she was about to do.

"N-no! B-big sister, don't!" she yelped. "W-we both know…how b-big brother is when he's i-in his dragon f-form!"

Azura scowled under her breath. She _hated_ being so emotional about this. Normally, she was withdrawn, her face nothing more than a mask: emotionless and unmoving. But whenever Corrin put himself in danger, all she could about was to help him. But whenever she was ready to help him, Corrin would always find some way to get her to stay behind. She _hated_ it.

"She's right, Lady Azura," a voice said.

Azura turned to find the source of the voice. A few feet away stood Laslow and Odin, the former of which was grinning and moving his eyebrows suggestively towards her. Azura blew a strand of hair out of her face as she continued to march towards the teleportation rune.

"Odin," she said curtly. "I thought you had gone with Leo"

Odin sighed and shook his head. "Alas, it was not to be! These two weary but brave souls have had our own share of hopeless battles and overwhelming odds against us!"

Azura frowned. "W-what do you mean?" she asked.

Laslow clapped Odin on the shoulder. "That is to say, Lady Azura, the two of us have some…idea of what we're up against," he said. "And quite frankly, not one out of the three of us are comfortable with being bac-, er, here."

Azura crossed her arms. "Explain," she said.

Odin planted his feet in an attempt to look like some sort of legendary swordsman. "Aha! You see, Lady Azura, it is common knowledge that the three of us have a deeply muddled and mysterious past—."

"The three of you?"

"Ah, Odin, me, and Selena," Laslow interjected.

"—that only a select few can know about!" Odin continued. "We have traveled across oceans of time in order to arrive in this land, and little do yo—"

Azura interrupted with a wave of her hand. "I'm sorry, Odin, but I don't have time for your theatrical antics right now. Corrin needs my help right now, so I don't have time to talk."

Odin's eyes bugged out in surprise. "B-but, I haven't even gotten to the tale of our epic struggles against our enemies and—and—"

Laslow, the more pragmatic of the two, drew his sword and placed it in front of her. "I'm sorry, Lady Azura, but we cannot allow you to put yourself in anymore danger than we are already in," he said, his sharp tone betraying his jovial features, the only way she was able to tell when he was deadly serious.

"I don't care, Laslow. As a princess of Hoshido, I am ordering you to let me through and let me help Corrin," she said, her voice equally sharp. "Who are you to order me about?"

Laslow shook his head. "Lady Azura, you know better than anybody here how dangerous it can be to be alone in Valla. Think, how do you think Lord Corrin will feel if you get yourself hurt or killed trying to help him?"

"Of course! Lord Corrin is the center—no! The _latchkey_ of this epic endeavor! In order for the noble armies of Hoshido and Nohr to succeed, we must first ensure that Lord Corrin be in the best state of health, both physically and mentally!" Odin added on.

Azura paused. What Laslow and Odin said made sense. It would be tragic indeed if she was hurt or killed trying to help Corrin. He would undoubtedly find himself guilty somehow, and he would soon—

No. She would never let that happen.

" _Fine_ ," she snapped."So what do you want me to do then?"

Laslow chuckled. "Why, nothing. Just do what you were doing before," he said. "In fact, did you know that whenever you walk, your hips shake in a most splendid way?" he asked suggestively.

Azura turned away dismissively. "I have no time for your idle compliments, Laslow. If I can't help Corrin, what do you want me to do then?" she asked.

Odin crossed his arms. "Like what my noble friend said, do what you were doing before. Trust us when we say that if Lord Corrin wanted to destroy that fort by himself, he most definitely could. You know the power he has. Do you really want to be next to him when he unleashes that power?" he said, his voice unusually grim and serious.

Azura opened her mouth to reply, but before she could utter a single word, a roar echoed from the most northeastern island. For a moment, everybody paused and looked at the island before resuming their activities, albeit in a more subdued manner.

Azura continued to stare at the island before looking back at Laslow and Odin. To her surprise, the blood suddenly drained from their faces. If she didn't know them any better, she would have thought them to be scared. Laslow's knuckles whitened as he gripped his word hilt tighter. Odin clenched his fists, his face contorted in a scowl that betrayed his normal optimistic and energetic personality.

"Uh, Laslow? Odin? Are the two of you alright?" she asked.

Laslow did not reply but Odin took him by the shoulders and herded them away. "Ah, forgive us, Lady Azura. My stalwart companion here has a bit of a…fear-slash-hatred about dragons," he explained. "You know, childhood traumas and whatnot."

Azura could have sworn that she saw Odin shudder as he uttered the word "dragons."

"Just…take our advice and don't take after Lord Corrin. He is, by far, one of the most powerful and deadliest warriors I have ever laid eyes on! The two of us are confident that such a warrior will rarely fall in battle based solely on the skill of his mortal enemies alone!" he said before he walked away, Laslow in tow.

 _What was that about?_ Azura thought to herself. _Laslow and Odin aren't the types of people I would think to be afraid of dragons_ …

* * *

A/N: So I WANTED to continue this chapter with Corrin activatin gthe dragon vein, thus giving you guys an idea of what goes on in his head while he's a dragon, but frankly, its gets _really_ f****** complicated. So I decided to cut it out, since its basically 600 words detailing how Corrin likes to dominate people, and I'm assuming people get really bored about reading about "Corrin stumbling over to the dragon vein." Plus, the game doesn't really detail how people use dragon veins anyway. Is it something like LOZ: Ocarina of Time where a crap ton of lights shoots up? Is it just like Halo where it tells you to press a button, and you don't _even see_ your character performing the action and all of a sudden everything is exploding around you? I don't know. So to prevent me from contracting _another_ aneurysm, I decided to cut out that part and cut straight to Corrin returning from his solo quest. That cool? Cool.


	14. Chapter 14

Corrin roared, and the Vallite soldiers before him quailed. A single arrow streaked past him. Corrin paid it no mind. Instead, he leapt off the pile of rubble that had once been a wall. The impact shook the entire courtyard, knocking anybody near him off their feet. The Vallite soldiers broke formation then, separating into a dozen smaller groups. One of the Vallites, an officer, Corrin guessed, based on its more ornate plume on its helmet, raised his sword and pointed it towards Corrin. A line of archers on the far side of the fort let fly a volley of arrows towards Corrin. Arrows bounced off his chest as he roared and reared. A single spearman decided to charge him at that very moment, so as Corrin fell back on his front feet, he raked his right paw through the air, nearly cutting the unfortunate Vallite in twain.

Corrin ducked his head instinctively as another volley of arrows fell around him. He knew he had nothing fear from such paltry attacks, but this action was more out of human instinct than actual precaution. Corrin snorted and shook his head as a single arrow rebounded off Corrin's face with a metallic _ding_. For a split second, the white silhouettes against the blue background of his vision blurred before sharpening again.

Another Vallite spearman decided this was an opportune time to charge him. He stabbed at Corrin's shoulder blade, hoping to penetrate through his scales. Unfortunately for him, even the thinnest of Corrin's scales was stronger than even the finest armor plating. The blade and shaft shattered and splintered in his grip, leaving the spearman with a useless stump of wood in his hands. Corrin looked down at the spearman, almost in contempt, before rearing and goring the Vallite with his antler-horns. Once he had finished off the spearman, he turned his attention on the officer, who had managed to brand a shield and spear since Corrin last saw him and was now charging towards him; his spear leveled towards Corrin's chest.

Corrin swung a paw at the spear, hoping to knock it aside and kill the officer. To his irritation, the officer managed to raise his shield just in time to deflect the mighty blow, leaving the shield mangled and about as useful as a piece of plywood. Corrin used the following opportunity to catch the officer with his antler-horns, throwing him up and over the walls. As soon as he was sure the officer was finished, Corrin turned on the rest of the Vallites in the courtyard.

Over the course of the next few moments, Corrin _decimated_ all of the Vallites. He didn't remember much about the fighting except for the spray of blood whenever he cleaved a Vallite in half with his mighty paws, or the incessant _pinging_ of arrows ricocheting off his armored skin. As soon as all of the Vallites in the area were dead, Corrin crouched over the corpses of his kills. Beads of blood clung to his scales, the drops of red and black in startling contrast against the white of his scales. Corrin threw back his head and roared his triumph, a baying cry that sent the birds in the trees fleeing.

Once Corrin felt satisfied with the length of his roar, he snapped his false-jaw shut and perched himself on a pile of rubble overlooking the entire courtyard. As he admired his "handiwork," the rage that filled his mind slowly faded away.

Corrin shook his head, as if ridding himself of an annoying fly. Transforming into a dragon wasn't hard, per se; _remaining_ a dragon, however, was the problem. Azura told him before that whenever Corrin was in his draconic state, he would be subject to the temptations of that of a dragon; namely that of the urge to destroy and rampage. Corrin found that it took a great deal of concentration in order to suppress these urges, but it also took a great deal of focus to retain _enough_ of these temptations in order for him to remain a dragon.

Corrin leapt off the pile of rubble and landed with a heavy _crash_ in the middle of the courtyard. As soon as he landed, Corrin reared as a thick cloud of smoke rose from beneath his feet.

Corrin coughed and gasped for breath as his eyes shot open. Corrin groaned as he clutched his head. He had a _killer_ headache, and the horrific odor rising from the bodies of the Vallites did little to relieve his headache. Corrin struggled to his feet, using Yato to help him up.

Once he was on his feet, Corrin looked around at the courtyard. The fighting had polluted the entire courtyard with a series of horrific smells, which seemed to press against Corrin like a wet blanket. How the smell didn't bother him when he was a dragon, who had a sense of smell infinitely sharper than a human, continued to elude Corrin as he covered his nose and mouth with the sleeve of his tunic, trying to filter out some of the smells. Corrin had barely managed to bring his arm up to his face before his vision suddenly turned black. Corrin found himself back on his knees, a pile of vomit spreading out from beneath him. Disgusted, Corrin jumped backwards and shook his hands free of the sick.

Looking around at the courtyard again, Corrin couldn't help but be reminded about that day in the castle town, in Hoshido. The rubble strewn about everywhere, the thick fog of dust that pervaded everywhere, the corpses and bodies scattered about, limbs and torso torn in such ways that they were could barely be seen as human anymore. All of this, and more, reminded Corrin about the aftereffects of his first transformation.

Corrin forced himself to look away as he felt his stomach churn. Throwing up over a memory would do little to help him forget that day.

Pressing his tunic sleeve against his mouth and nose again, Corrin walked off towards the dragon vein. Corrin had difficulty describing… _what_ it looked like. Usually, it looked like everything else around it: a patch of dirt, an upturned tree. Sometimes, however, Corrin found that a dragon vein would have…a certain _allure_ to it, some sort of glow that made it stand out from the rest of the land around it. This particular dragon vein took the appearance of a circular rune on the ground, with ancient texts enscribed around it. Hesitantly, Corrin placed his hand in the middle of the "rune" and closed his eyes in concentration.

Almost instantly, Corrin withdrew his hand. The _power_ that this dragon vein contained…it was more than any other dragon vein Corrin had interacted with before. Corrin placed his hand back on the dragon vein and willed it to activate.

For a moment, nothing happened. For several heartbeats, nothing happened. Corrin withdrew his hand. Maybe it had been activated before? Or maybe its effects weren't super obvious at first. Suddenly, a brilliant golden light started shine. Corrin covered his eyes as the light grew brighter and brighter.

"What the—?" Corrin blurted, as he backed away from the dragon vein. This was no ordinary dragon vein. The power…the light…it could only mean one thing.

"What's going on?" Corrin asked. Corrin's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen.

"Oh, shi—"

Without hesitation, Corrin turned around and sprinted as fast as he could towards the teleportation rune that would take him back to the clearing. As he sprinted, Corrin thought furiously about what had happened.

Xander, Ryoma, and Azura had told him several times before that because of their direct blood line with the divine dragons, they were able to use dragon veins for anything they wanted. What they _didn't_ mention, however, was Corrin's higher levels of dragon blood in his veins comapred to theirs. He was _half dragon,_ for god's sake. Of course it would make sense that any dragon vein he activated would be more powerful than the ones Xander, Leo, Camilla, Ryoma, or any of his royal siblings could use. If this particular dragon vein's purpose was to create a spell strong enough to _blast apart a stone statue,_ Corrin didn't want to be near it when it activates.

Panting, Corrin pushed his way through a bush. He could just _barely_ see the teleportation rune up ahead. Just a few minutes ago, all they had seemed like one way for Corrin and his forces to travel from Point A to Point B. Just a few minutes ago, they were the key to attack the mage summoning the Vallites. Just a few minutes ago, they had been the object of speculation among the scholars in Corrin's forces.

Now, all they seemed like was a safe haven.

As Corrin sprinted, he heard a deafening _boom_ resonating from behind him. A blaze of yellow and orange emanated from behind Corrin, though he did not dare turn around to look back.

The world went black for the third time in as many minutes. An unbearable heat pressed against Corrin's back, and everything turned and twisted around him as he tumbled forward through a formless space.

* * *

A bright orb of light flew from over the tops of the trees surrounding the clearing and slammed into the face of the statue. Azura coughed as a thick layer of dust fell over the clearing. She waved her hand in front of her face in a futile attempt to clear the air around her. Her eyes bleary from the dust, she cast her eyes over the statue. A massive crack ran from the top of the statue all the way down to the base of it. As she watched, a part of the statue's right arm broke away and cracked into pieces on the floor.

Beside her, Leo coughed and tried to sit up before Sakura forced him back down onto the floor again, urging him that he should stay still in order to let her finish healing his broken ribs, courtesy of falling off of his horse when it had taken an arrow to the shoulder.

"S-Sakura! Its fine! So long as you cast a spell of healing over it, the spell will automatically finish repairing my ribs so long as you remain conscious and in close proximity!" Leo protested.

"I-I don't care!" Sakura retorted. "Even if what you say is true—"

"I _know_ what I say is true because I spent nearly an entire month focusing just on _healing_ and _mending_ broken bones!" Leo furiously shot back. "All I need to do is to cast some sort of spell that can clear away the dust—" Leo broke down into a fit of coughs. "—clear away the dust in this courtyard! I'm sick of not being able to breathe whenever one of those accursed dragon veins activate!"

Azura sighed in exasperation. Normally, the Nohrian prince and scholar acted aloof, respectful, and collected. On the other hand, Sakura was shy, timid, and usually tried to avoid any sort of conflict to the best of her ability. Lately though, however, whenever either one of them got caught up in a conversation where their opinions differed, all of that went out the window.

Azura rubbed her eyes. "Leo, Sakura, please! Enough with the bickering! Sakura, let Leo cast his spell. Leo, just make sure you don't strain yourself too hard. As soon as you feel any discomfort, I want you to stop whatever you're doing and rest," she said. Inwardly, Azura cringed.

She _hated_ being so… _off-putting._ Normally, she let Ryoma, Corrin, or Xander sort out this sort of thing. All three of them were infinitely more gifted than her at the art of negotiations between two hostile forces. As for her, Azura preferred to stay in the background, away from any arguments out of fear that the argument may turn towards her. She knew her fears were unjustified, but growing up in Garon's court had taught her that any sort of caution could end up saving her from an embarrassing "accident" later on.

Sakura crossed her arms. Leo smirked towards her as he tried to sit up. He barely managed to get his elbows underneath him before he blanched and fell back onto the floor, gasping.

"Maybe…later…" he panted. "Ribs…still sore…"

Sakura shook her head. " _See?_ I told you that—" Sakura's eyes bugged out as she realized that Azura was still standing solemnly behind her. She stood up and immediately bowed, her face turning as red as her hair.

"Oh! I-I'm so s-sorry, big sister! I p-promise you w-won't ever hear me t-talk to anybody like that a-again!" she stammered, embarrassed.

Azura blinked, unsure of how to handle this. She had been basically living with the rest of her royal siblings for the past year, and yet she was still unsure of how to respond whenever they tried to apologize for something so trivial.

"Uh…alright, I guess? I accept?" she said haltingly. Sakura bowed again, lower this time, and turned her attention back on Leo, who clenched his fist as Sakura ran her hands down his chest. Azura bit her lip as she realized a faint shade of red blossomed across both Leo's _and_ Sakura's faces.

Azura looked away, embarrassed. Surely, it was nothing, right? And even if it was anything, why should it be considered bad? Sure, they may be in the middle of a battle where they had no place to retreat to, but why that was no reason to avoid making friendships. Azura felt her face twist into a wry smile involuntarily as the image of Corrin streaked across her mind for a split second.

Azura shook her head and closed her eyes as she tried to focus. _How many was that? Six? Seven? I think that was seven. If so, then we should be on to the last one,_ she thought to herself.

"Lady Azura?"

Azura turned to see Silas dismounting his charger. As he planted his lance in the ground, Silas grimaced as he clutched his arm.

"Damn archers…" he muttered under his breath.

"Oh! Silas! Please, don't push yourself!" Azura said. She hurriedly rushed over the Silas' charger and proceeded to help Silas off.

"No, please, Lady Azura. I can…take care of myself!" he protested.

"Nonsense," Azura scoffed. "You're hurt!"

Despite her objections, Azura let go of Silas just as he dismounted his charger, causing him to fall to the floor amid a jumble of armor and curses. Azura pursed her lips, trying to stifle her laughter.

"Damn!" Silas blurted. "You _had_ to let go right then and there?"

Azura gave him a wry smile. "Well, you _did_ say you didn't need my help, so I took your advice and let you get off your horse with a wounded hand."

Silas rolled his eyes. "Forget it."

Azura pursed her lips but said nothing. Instead, she turned back around to stare at the statue. Silas sighed and pushed his hair back.

"Well, according to our most recent reports, Camilla, Ryoma, Xander, Kaze, Hinoka, Takumi, and I managed to activate our respective dragon veins. All that's left is Corrin's dragon, but I guess he has an excuse for his delay. I mean, he _did_ send both Leo and Sakura back here, so I guess that might be part of the reason," Silas said.

Azura did not respond but crossed her arms, her finger toying absentmindedly with a strand of her trademark azure hair. Silas sighed.

"Listen, I know this isn't exactly the best time to talk about this, and that it isn't really even my place to talk to you in such a casual manner at all, but I just have to know. Is there anything wrong between you and Corrin?"

Azura froze, her mind racing. "What? No!," she replied. "Why do you ask?"

Silas frowned. "Well, you know. If I have may have your permission to speak to you casually, while I was treating my wound, I couldn't help but notice that…you seem…more distant than usual."

Azura raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? And how do you know that?" she asked.

Silas grinned sheepishly. "Well, as you know, Corrin and I are pretty good friends," he chuckled. "And, I couldn't help but notice that it was pretty easy to tell whether or not Corrin had talked to you recently."

Azura cocked her head curiously. "What…what do you mean?"

"I mean, before you two…you know, started courting, he was always really social and charismatic and whatnot, as you know pretty well. But it was only _after_ you two started courting, he started smiling a lot more all of a sudden, and you know… he had this _vibe_ to him," Silas said, chuckling.

"At first, I didn't really notice. I just thought he was happy to be finished with organizing the army and waiting for the rest of our allies to arrive and whatnot. But when I was talking to Corrin about something, it clicked! I noticed that while Corrin was a lot more spirited than usual, people also started to…kind of notice you," Silas said.

"I mean no disrespect towards you, Lady Azura, but it's kind of hard for you…to stand out to others whenever you're by Corrin." Silas grinned apologetically.

Azura frowned. "Explain," she said curtly.

Rubbing the back his head, Silas continued, "I mean, before, whenever people saw you two together, I'm pretty sure most people noticed Corrin first before noticing you, you know? I don't know, it's just…you have this sort of _aura_ around you that makes it really hard for people to notice you," Silas said sheepishly.

Azura's frown deepened, and she instinctively crossed her arms and turned away from Silas. Silas cringed.

"Eh—, I mean, that was _before_ you and Corrin were together," he hastily added. "Now, I couldn't help but notice that now, I find myself sometimes noticing Corrin first, and other times, I found myself noticing _you_ first, Lady Azura."

Azura froze. "W-what do you mean 'you found yourself noticing me?'" she asked.

Silas bit his lip. "Ah—I meant that in no disrespect— _oh_ , forget it." Silas pushed his hair back as he took a breath to steady himself.

"What I _meant_ to say, Lady Azura, was that whenever people see you being happy and whatnot, it just… _resonates_ within us, you know?"

Azura continued staring into the distance, unsure of how to respond. Behind her, Silas continued to drone on, his words slowly blurring into obscurity as Azura thought about what he said. Azura was absolutely _terrified_ about any sort of attention directed towards her. It took her nearly a month before she was able to clearly speak without her stuttering and blushing after she admitted that she and Corrin were indeed courting.

The rational part of her mind insisted that her fears were unfounded. The rest of her stood stock-still. Growing up, getting someone's— anybody's— attention was tantamount to basically begging for a month's worth of bullying, hair pulling, beatings, and blackmail.

On the _other_ hand, what Silas said about her looking happier than usual was true. Azura _did_ enjoy spending time with Corrin. She _enjoyed_ all of his goofy remarks, his childish charm. Yet despite all the time they spent together, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was secretly leading Corrin and the rest of his allies closer and closer to their deaths.

It's one thing to invade an empire that people knew nothing about. It's a _completely_ different thing to invade an empire whose ruler happened to be a dragon. A deranged, madly insane, violent dragon, at that. Azura shuddered.

What if this whole endeavor was destined for failure? After all, she _was_ directly responsible for convincing Corrin that he shouldn't choose Hoshido or Nohr over another. Instead, she convinced him to help her free Valla from Anankos' rule.

And so far, she's been doing a damn poor job at contributing to the war she basically brought up. She was, by far, one of the weakest people in Corrin's forces when it came to any sort of physical fighting. Not only that, but Azura couldn't feel that Corrin felt… _underwhelmed_ by her.

On one hand, sure, she was a songstress, and Azura considered herself comely enough, at least to her standards. On the flip side, she was a complete flop at anything besides singing. She rarely came up with any viable ideas or suggestions during meetings, if she even came up with an idea at all.

"…but I couldn't help but notice that now…now you seem…different. Now, you act and feel the same _before_ you and Corrin started courting, except this time, there's like, I don't know, this hidden buffer beneath you," Silas finished. "Why is that? Lady Azura?"

Azura flinched. "W-what? I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

Silas raised an eyebrow. "I was saying that recently, you've been a lot more distant, and I was wondering if anything was wrong. Is it because of you and Corrin? Is there anything wrong between you two?"

Azura shook her head. "No! No. It's just…" Azura paused as she tried to find the right words. "It's just…"

Azura turned around and grabbed Silas by his lapels. " _Promise_ you won't tell Corrin? Or anyone else for that matter?"

Silas blinked. "Eh—of course! You have my word."

"Good." Azura released Silas. "Oh, and, um, sorry for grabbing you like that," she apologized.

Azura turned back around. "Oh, and I also want you to promise me this," she said.

Silas raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

Azura rubbed her arms. "I…I want you to stop addressing me so… _formally_ ," she said.

Silas cocked his head. "I-I'm not sure where you're going with this," she said.

Azura pursed her lips. "It's just that…whenever you call me 'Lady Azura,' or whatever, it just doesn't feel right. I mean, you're Corrin's best friend, and you always address him so casually! So why don't you address me the same way you address him?" she asked. _Gods_ , could she sound anymore like a child?

Silas laughed. "Well, I'm not sure if you're familiar with Nohrian tradition, but traditionally, if a knight has managed to keep a good friendship with his lord, he can drop all the fancy titles and whatnot. On the other hand, as a Nohrian knight, we all have to follow this set of rules, if you must."

Silas shrugged apologetically. "One of these rules involves always speaking politely and formally to women, _especially_ women of noble birth. Of course, I'm aware of your situation and your status as Corrin's beloved, but it's just sort of… _engrained_ in me to…you know—follow this code."

Azura raised an eyebrow. "In all my years of growing up in Garon's court—"

Silas blanched. "W-wait, what?"

Azura waved a hand dismissively. "Nothing. I'll explain later, once we're out of danger. In all my years in growing up in Nohr, I never heard of such a thing."

Silas rubbed the back of his head. "Well...you see, there's a reason for that, and unfortunately, it's one of those things I can't really talk about. I mean, Corrin also grew up in Nohr. Maybe you should talk to him about this. But you still haven't answered my question. Is there anything wrong between you and Corrin? And if so, what can I do to help?"

Azura shook her head. "No, there's nothing wrong between me and Corrin. He's been amazing these past few weeks, it's just that…"

Azura rubbed her arms in embarrassment. "It's just that…you know I have a difficult time trying to get myself to open up to others, and recently, I've been feeling pretty guilty about this…whole endeavor." Azura threw her arms up and gestured towards the statue.

Silas raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, confused. "I don't see what you're going with this, Lady Azura."

Azura purse her lips. "I thought I asked you to stop being so formal with me? You're one of Corrin's best friends, and if you're his friend—" Azura shuddered. "—then so are we."

Silas shook his head, grinning. "Very well, I promise to stop being so formal around her, but only if you tell me what troubles you."

Azura gazed at the statue. "I mean, there's so many things _wrong_ with this whole situation. I just don't know _how_ to tell you this. I mean, it always seemed so easy whenever I talk to Corrin about this kind of stuff, but with you…I'm sorry, I just don't know."

Silas looked at her and sighed. "Lady, er, Azura. I know what you're going with here. Gunter and Felicia once told me that Corrin was once as shy and reserved as you are. Back when Corrin and I were playmates, we had these kind of conversations all the time. He wanted to tell me something, but he just couldn't bring himself to open up about it."

Silas crossed his arms as he furrowed his eyebrows. "Trust me, when I say that I know what you're going through right now, and the only advice I can give for you…is to be direct."

Azura sighed. "Fine. I guess if you're so curious about what keeps me up at night, I guess I'll have to tell, don't I?" she said harshly.

Silas cringed. "Ah, I mean, if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine, but all I'm saying is that if you ever need somebody to talk to besides Corrin, I'm always available."

Azura shook her head. "No, no. Sorry for snapping at you like that. I'm…happy…to tell you, it's just that I'm not really used to opening myself up to others so easily. I hope you understand."

Silas shrugged. "Hey, I get it. If now's not a good time, perhaps we should talk about this some other time?"

Azura shook her head. "No. In all honesty, we might not have 'another time.' The closer we get to Anankos, the less time we're—"

"Eh, Anankos?"

Azura froze, before resuming. "Not important, er, I mean, yes, he is important, but he's not relevant right now." Azura turned away, embarrassed. "I'll explain him later."

Silas raised an eyebrow. "If…you insist? But what were you saying before?"

Azura bit her lip. "Well, recently, I was thinking about how I pretty much convinced Corrin to ignore both Hoshido and Nohr, and truth be told, I'm starting to feel a little hesitant about setting him, you, Ryoma, Xander, and the rest of Corrin's forces on this path."

Silas nodded, understanding dawning on his face. "Ah, I see. You feel guilty about talking Corrin out of supporting either side and convincing him to follow you on this path and planning an invasion into this unknown land where everything goes wrong almost immediately?"

Azura gritted her teeth. "I mean, it sounds a lot worse when you put it _that_ way, but yeah. That's basically the gist of it."

Silas frowned. "Surely, that's not it, right?"

Azura raised an eyebrow. "What? Of course that's it. What makes you think otherwise?"

Silas shook his head. "Never mind. Forget I said anything."

Silas knelt down and started absentmindedly drawing in the dirt with his finger. "Well, I know I wasn't there from the very beginning, but Corrin gave me the gist of it after we first fought against each other in Port Dia."

Azura looked at him in confusion. "When did you two fight?"

Silas shrugged half-heartedly. "Ah, it was a pretty long time ago. I was still a knight of Nohr, and I received orders from Garon to kill Corrin. At first, I didn't realize he meant _Corrin_ Corrin, but I digress. Either way, after we fought and I joined, he told that basically, there was this huge evil that threatened to disturb the world, and he needed my help to fight against it. At first, I thought he was being melodramatic, what with talk about a third hidden kingdom and whatnot, but now that we're actually _in_ the third hidden kingdom, I see Corrin was telling the truth all along."

Silas sighed. "Anyways, I have some idea of why you feel this way about the whole thing, and quite frankly, I think you're being a little bit too hard on yourself."

Azura blinked. "W-what do you mean?"

Silas rolled his eyes. "In my opinion, you shouldn't be feeling bad about this whole 'invasion' plan going south. None of us planned for us to meet such hard resistance right off the bat, and quite frankly, even if we _did_ know about it, you still couldn't be blamed for it."

Grunting, Silas pushed himself back up. "Listen, if you're getting cold feet just because we got off to a bad start, I don't know how you managed to convince Corrin to give up on both Nohr and Hoshido. All of us knew what we signed up for, and we all agreed to serve under both Corrin _and_ you, at least until this whole thing is over. We're with you to the end, Azura."

Azura rubbed her arms. "Maybe, but there wouldn't have been a need for you to risk your lives anyways if you didn't follow me and Corrin," she said.

Silas shook his head in exasperation. "Yeah, and I'm sure that if you didn't convince Corrin to help you, everything would've been just fine up in Hoshido and Nohr, right? If you hadn't convinced Corrin to follow you, we would've never gotten Hoshido and Nohr to unite together!"

Azura looked away as Silas continued. "It's only _because_ you appealed to Corrin that Hoshido and Nohr were able to unite together, something that hasn't been done in dozens of generations!"

Silas brushed his hands against his legs, rubbing off the dust and dirt on his fingers. "And besides, one of the first things Corrin said to any of his potential allies was that he needed their help in sealing away some sort of ancient evil. If you didn't get Corrin to fight for you, do you think this 'ancient evil' would've gone away by itself?"

Azura slowly shook her head.

Silas stopped to take a breath, a smug smirk on his face. "Well?"

Azura looked at him. "Well what?" she asked.

"Was that sufficient enough to lift your troubles off your shoulders?" Silas said, still grinning.

Azura looked away, troubled. "I guess? I mean, I wasn't expecting for it to actually mean anything. Usually, whenever I ask someone for help, it's usually always the same thing. 'Go bother someone else with your troubles.' 'Come back later, I'm busy right now.' 'Why do you think I should care?'"

Silas looked at her in horror. "W-what…what type of childhood did you grow up in? I know being the daughter of a noble can be stressful at the best of times, but I've never heard of anyone being so cruel."

Azura flushed. "Well, I guess you know why I never talk to others about my personal problems," she said.

Silas nodded. "I can see why."

For another moment, the two stood awkwardly. Azura fiddled with a strand oh her hair. Silas coughed and pushed his hair back. Finally, Silas broke the silence: "So…is there anything else you had problems with?"

Azura cracked a small smile. "Well, recently, I've been thinking that Corrin is feeling pretty underwhelmed by me, both emotionally and—"

Silas interrupted her with a wave of his hand. "Ah! No! Sorry, Azura, but if we're going to be talking about Corrin, it's going to have to be something besides your relationship. I don't know the nuances and details between you two, and I'm hardly someone you should talk to about relationships, seeing as I'm hardly in one."

Azura smiled. "Yes, I know. I was simply joking," she said.

Silas chuckled and sighed in relief. "Ah, yes. I knew that."

The two continued to stand, gazing up at the statue. This time, it was Azura who broke the silence.

"How do you think Corrin is doing right now?" she asked.

Silas rubbed the back of his head. "Eh, it's tough to say. On one hand, he sent Leo and Sakura back to the main group, which meant that he's going to take a bit more time clearing out the area around the dragon vein, so—"

Silas was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of another bright orb of light. Unlike the others, this particular orb was much larger and hotter than the rest. Azura could feel the heat shedding from it's surface as it crashed into the statue. With a mighty _crack_ , the statue shattered. Silas' charger balked and ran, retreating to a safe distance. Silas grabbed Azura by the shoulder and pushed her away from a particularly large piece of falling rubble. Azura pressed herself flat to the ground as she waited for everything to settle. Finally, after what appeared to be an eternity of rubble falling and people shouting in alarm, she opened her eyes.

Where the statue once stood was a circular pad, akin to the teleportation pads they used to transport themselves to each of the dragon veins. Azura was dimly aware of Silas helping her to her feet and Ryoma and Xander rushing over to her, asking if she was alright. She nodded mutely to each of their questions and tried to brush off their concerns. Azura just kept staring at the remains of the statue, unsure of what had just happened. She had never seen a dragon vein so powerful, so forceful.

Azura blinked as Leo snapped his fingers in front of Azura's eyes. Irritated, she turned to look at him.

"What?" she asked, though not unkindly. Leo pointed towards a slumped shape on the ground.

The shape was too contoured and smooth to be a piece of rubble from the statue. The shape suddenly made a groan and rolled over. With a start, Azura realized that it was a person. With an even bigger start, Azura realized that it was Corrin.

Azura raced over to him, Ryoma, Leo, Xander, and Silas following close behind. Azura knelt down besides Corrin and checked to see if there were any wounds. Corrin coughed and cracked open an eyelid, his red eyes slowly focusing on Azura.

"Oh, hello there," he whispered.

Azura stared at him. "What was that?" she asked.

Corrin coughed again. "The eighth dragon vein," he said.

Azura blinked. "Then why was it so powerful? None of the other one's were like that," she said.

Leo cleared his throat. "Sorry for the interruption, but I think I have a guess. If only people with dragon blood can activate and use dragon veins, since Corrin is half-dragon, I'm guessing that whatever dragon veins he activates will be much more powerful and potent compared to the one's we activate."

Everybody stared at him. Xander crossed his arms as he looked down at his boots, deep in thoughts. Ryoma rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I suppose it would make sense," the samurai said.

Silas knelt down on the other side of Corrin. "Hey, are you hurt?" he asked.

Corrin frowned as he tried to sit up. "N-no, I don't think so. I think I have a few burns on my back, but I think that's the most of it," he said.

"What happened?" Xander asked as he extended a hand towards Corrin.

Corrin gratefully took it and pulled himself to his feet. "I'm not really sure. I transformed into a dragon, I wiped out the Vallites, I transformed back, I activated the dragon vein, realized something was wrong, and bolted for the teleportation pad. That's all I really remember."

Corrin grinned sheepishly. "Oh yeah, and I also teleported through just as the dragon vein activated behind me, so I'm guessing that explains the burns on my back."

Ryoma frowned. "Well, there's no burns on your back, though I suppose it could be under your armor, on your skin. Also, what is that stain on your gloves?" Ryoma pointed towards a greenish-orange stain of Corrin's gloves.

Corrin grimaced and hid his hands behind his back. "You don't…want to know," he said.

Leo rolled his eyes. "Whatever. This conversation is irrelevant. Now that Corrin is back among us, our forces are up to full strength. Since the barrier has been cleared, we can proceed to attack that mage whenever we're ready."

Corrin shook his head. "Maybe we should wait a few minutes? If only to let me wash my gloves and treat my burns real quick?"

Xander covered his nose. "Yes, I do believe that you should go wash your gloves. We can spare a few minutes. Take your time. As for the rest of us," he gestured to Silas, Leo, and Ryoma, "we should take this time to make sure we're ready before we go through this portal. Since this portal is many times larger than the others, I'm guessing it can also transport more people at the same time."

Everybody nodded. Corrin broke off and headed towards Elise. Azura watched him go.

"Azura, I want you to remain here. If my guess is correct, the interior of that fort is going to be tight. There's going to be a lot of brutal, short-range swordplay in there, and I'm not sure you're capable or skilled enough to keep yourself safe in there."

Azura opened her mouth to protest, but before she could get a word out, Corrin suddenly nudged in between them.

"Eh, actually, big brother, I would much rather prefer Azura come with us than for her to remain here. That mage could potentially summon Vallites behind us as a surprise, and they could potentially be summoned right here in the clearing. Trust me; I believe it's a lot safer if Azura sticks by me than if she stays here."

Xander raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about this, little prince?"

Corrin nodded. "Yes." Corrin looked over at Azura. "Promise you won't wander off, alright?"

Azura frowned. "Wait, what do you 'I won't wander off?'" she asked. "I thought you were the one who decided to order his allies back so that he could face the enemy all by himself?"

Corrin shrugged. "Don't worry about it, Azura. So what if I did? I was in no danger. Surely, one dragon against a dozen Vallites would have no trouble at all, right?"

Azura's frown deepened. "That's…not the point! And besides, that's a very dangerous way of thinking! You _know_ what happens to people who overestimate themselves."

Corrin opened his hand to reply before he was cut off by Xander raising a gloved hand. "Enough. Corrin, Azura is right. You shouldn't think like that. Even harboring that way of thinking could potentially spell doom for you one day. It's better to be cautious and methodical than reckless and quick. Now go, wash your gloves, that stench is getting worse by the second."

Corrin shook his head but headed off towards Elise. Azura looked up at Xander.

"Thank you, Xander," she said.

Xander smiled. "Think nothing of it, little princess. I'm simply trying to keep my family out of unnecessary danger," he said.

Azura gave a small smile and nodded. She looked towards Corrin, who was grossing out Elise by waving his gloves in her face. "Xander?"

Xander looked down at her. "Yes?"

"Do…do you think Corrin feels underwhelmed by me? I mean, physically and emotionally?" she asked sheepishly.

Xander frowned. "What do you mean?"

Azura bit her lip. She probably sounded like a petulant child. "Nothing, nothing. Forget I said anything. I'm going to talk to Corrin."

Xander looked at her with a confused expression. "Um, alright."

As Azura walked away, Xander called out her name. Azura turned around.

"Azura, I wouldn't worry too much about this whole situation. Believe me, we wouldn't have followed you and Corrin if we didn't trust you two."

Azura paused for a second before smiling, nodding in gratitude, and turning back around to follow Corrin.


	15. Chapter 15

Azura sat down on a log next to Corrin. "Hey," Corrin greeted, his face contorted in concentration as he furiously scrubbed at his gloves.

"Hello," Azura replied. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Corrin paused for a second to look at her, a sheepish grin on his face. "Well, I may or may not have fallen in some…er, vomit while I was taking care of that dragon vein."

Azura stared at him with a look of disgust on her face. "Eugh. Vomit?" she asked.

Corrin nodded. "Yeah, turns out that even though Vallites are technically reanimated bodies, they still decompose. You _would not_ believe how bad it smelled after I was done," he said, turning back to his task.

Azura frowned. "Corrin," she said gently

"Hm?"

"Corrin, is there something you're not telling me?" she asked.

Corrin paused. "No…" he said unconvincingly.

Azura stood up and looked down on him with a stern gaze. " _Corrin_ ," she said again.

Corrin sighed and dumped his gloves into the bucket, causing some of the water to spill out. "Fine," he said. "The smell was only part of the reason why I threw up."

Azura crossed her arms. "That's not what I meant," she said.

Corrin looked up at her. "I know, but it's the truth. When I transformed back, the smell was the first thing to hit me. The second thing…was the sight."

Azura cocked an eyebrow. "The sight?"

Corrin reached into the bucket and grabbed his gloves, turning them over to check for any stains left. "You know…after I transformed for the first time, do you remember what it looked like afterwards?"

Azura closed her eyes as she tried to remember. "Of course. How could I forget? Everything was des—" Azura's eyes snapped open. "You…don't mean that—"

Corrin nodded grimly. "After I looked around, I just felt so _disgusted_ with myself. Disgusted that _I'm_ responsible for so much destruction and death. I know that they were all Anankos' servants, but still. You just don't look at a courtyard filled with bisected bodies, knowing that you were responsible, and _not_ feel sick."

Corrin sighed and stood up. "I-I don't know, Azura. Sometimes, I feel like this whole thing—" Corrin gestured towards the pile of a dozen or so white sheets on the far side of the clearing, the corpses of those who had fallen, "—is my fault."

Corrin turned to look at Azura, his lips contorted in a frown. "I just feel so guilty knowing that I'm responsible for leading so many down here to their deaths. I mean, whatever happened to one of those bodies in that courtyard could've happened to one of us. I mean, what happens if I transform at the wrong time? What happens if my friends just so happened to be in the way when I'm rampaging? Can you understand that?"

Azura stared at Corrin. Azura could feel tears of her own slowly starting to well up, but she pushed them back. _Of course_ she understood what Corrin was feeling. Barely a minute ago, that was all what she was talking about with Silas. She walked forward and took Corrin's hands. Corrin tensed, as if he was preparing himself for whatever harsh words Azura would throw his way. Why wouldn't she? If your best friend and lover started getting cold feet about helping her deal with a problem that had been plaguing her since her childhood, why wouldn't she be angry towards his cowardice?

To his surprise, Azura planted a chaste kiss on his cheek. Corrin's eyes widened as he involuntarily took a step backwards. Azura blushed and pursed her lips in embarrassment.

"Sorry. I know that was kind of out of the blue, but I think we should talk about this now. We won't have any other time to talk about this," she said gently.

Corrin blinked. "Y-You're not mad at me?" he asked.

Azura looked confused. "Why would I be mad at you for something I feel all the time?"

Corrin bit his lip. "Well, I thought you were going to be upset that I seemed like I was getting cold feet about this whole thing. You know, helping you free Valla, kill Anankos, and rebuild Valla. I thought you were going to think of me as a coward," he said.

Azura pursed her lips. "What? No, no! I would never think of you as a coward for feeling guilty about leading your friends and family here. If anything, it should be me that should be feeling guilty."

Corrin stared at her. "What do you mean?"

Azura slipped her hands out of Corrin's. Corrin let her escape, his own hands falling listlessly to his side. Azura fiddled with a strand of her hair, the same way she does whenever she's nervous.

"Well, I was talking to Silas a couple minutes ago, and I told him that I was feeling really guilty about convincing you to abandon Hoshido and Nohr, and instead getting you to help me with my own problems," she muttered. "I mean, I know now that if I didn't convince you to help me, Anankos would've probably attacked us in the future but still. I was feeling really guilty about bringing you into this whole situation and how now we're all stuck in Valla until we kill Anankos."

Corrin stared at her. "Why didn't you tell me this before? I could've helped you!"

Azura rubbed her eyes, her voice suspiciously thick. "I _wanted_ to! I didn't want to burden you with more unnecessary problems! What with you dealing with bringing Hoshido and Nohr together, preparing our forces to invade Valla, and figuring out ways to kill Anankos."

Corrin grabbed Azura and pulled her closer towards him. "Azura…I'm so sorry" he murmured.

Azura rested her head on Corrin's chest. "No, don't be. You were never the problem. In all honesty, more often than not, it was you who cheered me up, if only a little bit. . I can't ever tell you how important you are to me, and I guess I thought that you were too important to listen to me and my problems," she said.

Corrin did not reply, but instead he pulled her closer. Azura closed her eyes and tried to relax as best she could within Corrin's arms. For a few moments, they stood there, until Corrin let out a small chuckle. Azura looked up at him in confusion.

"What?" she asked.

Corrin shook his head, a small smile on his lips. "Nothing much. I just thought how funny it was that whenever one of us seeks out the other for comfort, we end having to comfort them instead."

Azura cracked a small smile of her own. "Yes, I do suppose we do that a little bit too often."

For a moment, they simply stood there, trying their best to enjoy each other's company as long as they could before they went back into battle. It was only until somebody rode up behind them and coughed that they separated.

"Yes?" Corrin asked, though not unkindly.

"Milord, you should know better than to engage in such acts of familiarity when we are in the middle of a battle," Gunter said, his rough voice sounding even more gravelly than usual.

Azura flushed and pushed herself away from Corrin. She hastily whispered an excuse and quickly left the two men to their business. Corrin squeezed her hand one last time before they separated and looked up at Gunter with a look of irritation on his face.

"Come on, Gunter, did you really have to interrupt us?" he asked jokingly.

Gunter frowned disapprovingly. "We are in the middle of a battle, all of our preparations are done, our troops are waiting for their leader to join them, only to see said leader is instead kissing his paramour," he said with a straight face. " _In public."_

At that, Corrin blushed. "Well, it's not like we have a lot of time left together, Gunter. I'm sure if you were in a similar position, you would find yourself doing the exact same thing."

Gunter shook his head. "No, I wouldn't be. My duty comes before my own personal interests. Besides, I'm sure if you remember your classes on etiquette, there is a time and place for everything relating to paramours. Now is _not_ one of those times."

Corrin grinned but nodded his head. "Alright, I get it. I'll try to keep everything private until we're no longer in danger, alright? I promise."

Gunter nodded approvingly. "Now, if we could get back on track, I do believe our men are waiting for you to lead the charge."

* * *

Corrin scowled and raised Yato in preparation to block a blow from the Vallite in front of him. To his right stood Ryoma, Rajinto held high over his head as its holder squinted at the Vallite in front of him. To Corrin's left stood Xander. Uttering a yell, the Nohrian prince spun Siegfried in a figure-eight formation and slashed the Vallite spearman in front of him, lopping both weapon and holder in half as easily as if he was cutting through grass.

"Corrin!" Gunter shouted. "Pay attention!"

Corrin flinched as a blade descended towards him, its edge nothing more than a flash of light against the gloomy walls of the fort. Corrin parried and stabbed with Yato, shoving the point of the legendary weapon through the Vallite's stomach.

The Vallite dropped his weapon and feebly tried to pull himself off the weapon. With a grunt, Corrin yanked the blade out of the Vallite's stomach. As he was doing so, a Vallite armed with an axe started charging towards him, its axe raised up above its head in preparation to strike a might blow.

Corrin tried to bring Yato up to intercept the blow, but before he was able to move a single inch, a brass naginta suddenly sprouted through the chest of the berserker. As it crumpled, behind it stood Azura, her hair matted with blood.

Corrin let loose a quick smile at Azura, who responded in kind. Normally, Azura was reserved, but whenever she was fighting by Corrin's side, her reserved demeanor vanish, replaced with a determination and ferocity that she rarely displayed elsewhere.

Despite being glad to see her safe, if not thriving, Corrin couldn't help but feel tense about the fact that she was part of the brawl. Corrin knew that he had requested her to be with him personally, but he often found himself fighting his way towards her, if only to make sure she was still safe. Part of Corrin knew that he had nothing to fear. Even though Azura was one of the weaker people in the army physically, her prowess with a naginta was unmatched. Not only that, but Azura often took advantage of her natural fluidity and grace as a songstress and dancer to avoid even the fastest blows, the kind of which even ninjas such as Saizo or Kaze had difficulty evading.

On the other hand, Corrin couldn't help but feel as if something bad would happen to her. Part of him knew that this feeling was only natural. But Corrin still couldn't shake the paranoia that if he lost sight of her for longer than a couple second, he would find her hopelessly maimed or wounded. Corrin flinched as a group of three Vallites in front of him suddenly burst into purple flames, the blades of their weapons reflecting flashes of purple light all around the corridor. Behind Corrin, Leo shouted a series of words, the meaning of which was lost to Corrin. No doubt, they were some sort of spell.

Corrin turned his attention back to the enemies in front of him. Almost as soon as Azura, Leo, Xander, Ryoma, Corrin, Camilla, Silas, Gunter, and the rest of his friends found themselves within the fort where the mage resided, it became obvious that the battle would become more of a rout. Together, they managed to push the Vallites out of the courtyard and into the walls and corridors of the fort.

To the Vallite's credit, despite being outnumbered almost three-to-one, they still put up a token resistance. They refused to retreat until it either became impossible to hold their current location or until they were all slain. They gave ground only when forced and fought with a tenacity that impressed even Leo and Takumi. Because of their determined resistance, Xander, Azura, Leo, Ryoma, and Corrin were unable to easily make their way towards the mage. At first, they were all stunned by the Vallite's resistance until Ryoma hypothesized that due to the mage directly summoning them, these particular Vallites may have some personal allegiance or loyalty towards the mage.

"Then it makes it all the more imperative that we find that mage and kill him!" Xander shouted. Leo, Azura, Silas, and Gunter all uttered war-cries in agreement and continued to push forward.

As they trudged through the seemingly dozens of Vallites, Corrin slowly found himself growing frustrated. For every two Vallites he slew, another three seemed to take their place. Of course, the rational part of Corrin knew that the mage would have a limit to how many Vallites she could summon, but the irrational part of Corrin cried out for the whole melee to end. Their encounters with the Vallites soon devolved into dark and desperate struggles, broken only by the occasional flash of Leo's magic. More than once, Corrin, Ryoma, Xander, Silas, Gunter, Azura, and Leo finished off a group of Vallites and moved on only to find that the mage had somehow managed to summon more Vallites right behind them, right where they had killed the first group.

Still, Corrin and his group always managed to escape permanent injury—through a combination of luck and skill— but such attacks made them all the more cautious and tense than they normally were in battle.

The fifth such confrontation left Corrin so enraged that when the Vallites began to withdraw, no doubt to try and lure then into some sort of trap, Corrin recklessly chased after them, determined to kill them all off. It was only due to Xander and Silas pulling Corrin back that he snapped out of his rage. The whole time, Corrin could feel the draconic part of him yearning to break free and rampage, though Corrin kept repressing it. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of fighting, Corrin, Azura, Silas, Ryoma, Xander, Leo, and Gunter found themselves in front a group of twenty or so Vallites. Behind the Vallites stood the mage, his arms raised as if they were preparing to cast some sort of spell. As soon as the mage saw them its arms dropped do its sides.

Corrin's eyes narrowed as he stared at the mage. " _You_ ," he growled.

To his surprise, the mage responded. "Me," he said.

No, not he— _she_.

Corrin could feel the other's shock. "It can talk?" Azura asked.

Though the mage's face was hidden by her hood, Corrin sensed that she was smiling. The mage bowed mockingly.

"On behalf of my king, I welcome you to our hidden kingdom," the mage said. "I do hope you enjoy your stay down here. I'm afraid you won't be able to leave for…quite some time. Kill them."

The Vallites shifted and leveled their spears towards Corrin and his group. As one, they charged. Corrin gritted his teeth as he prepared himself for yet another brawl. Time slowed down for Corrin as he looked at the force before them, thinking of ways for them to circumvent the Vallites.

As long as the Vallite spearmen managed to keep Corrin and his forces in front of them they would never be able to break through. Flanking them would take too long, which meant they had no choice but to fight their way through them. Plus they didn't have the space to fall back and let the archers pick them off anyways. Corrin entertained the idea of transforming into a dragon, but immediately put it out of his mind. If he transformed in here, not only would it be too cramped for him to turn and romp, but any allies caught in the crossfire could end up being targeted as enemies.

Corrin scowled. Frustrated, he raised Yato and shouted, "Stop! Retreat! Benny, Effie! Front and center! Takumi, Setsuna! To the back! Everyone else, get behind Benny and Effie and spread out behind them!" he bellowed.

As Corrin watched his forces break off and struggle to arrange themselves in the order Corrin ordered, he watched the mage watching them fight for a few seconds before ducking into a nearby doorway, along with a couple of Vallites as escort. Corrin felt his temple throb in frustration.

"Hurry!" he bellowed. Finally, once he was satisfied with how they were arranged, Corrin pointed Yato towards the charging spearmen and urged his forces to charge forward.

Effie grunted as the spears created a furrow on her cheek. Benny roared in pain as a spear managed to cut his right thigh. The two of them bellowed like a wounded bear and rammed into the spearheads with their heavy shields, trying to push their way forward. Corrin was dimly aware of people shouting frantically as he reached beneath Benny's massive arm and grabbed one of the spears by the shaft, yanking it out of the grip of whoever was holding it. Corrin flipped the spear around and sheathed Yato. Taking hold of the spear in both hands, Corrin stabbed furiously into the throng of Vallites. Once his arm tired, Corrin took a step back and hurled the spear into the center of the Vallites packed in the archway.

A gap suddenly appeared in the wall of bodies, and Corrin repeated the process four more times, and his throws and stabs eventually reduced the number of soldiers enough that, step by step, Benny and Effie were able to force the mob of Vallites back. Here, Benny, Effie, Takumi, and Setsuna proved to be invaluable. Benny and Effie managed to break through Vallite's lines and earned Corrin, Azura, Silas, Gunter, Xander, and Ryoma enough room to swing their own weapons. Whenever a Vallite fell, with an arrow stuck through their neck, Corrin knew it was the work of either Setsuna or Takumi.

Finally, as soon as Benny and Effie managed to push their way through the Vallites, they turned right back around, forming an unbreakable wall behind the Vallites. The Vallites tried to retreat, only to find themselves pressed up against a set of heavy shields. It soon became a rout after that. In a rush of clanging metal, severed limbs, and shouts, they managed to kill the rest of the Vallites. Usually, combat exhilarated Corrin.

There was something about the rush of combat and flashing steel that made Corrin feel as if he was being showered with a bucket of cold water. It always left him gasping and left him a sense of clarity and purpose unequaled by any other activity. This time, Corrin bent over and rested his hands on his knees, gasping for air. As he tried to catch his breath, Corrin looked around the room, trying to find Azura. To his relief, she appeared unharmed, save for a scratch running across her upper thigh. As he watched Azura test to see how serious the wound was by placing weight on it, Corrin felt a hand lay on his shoulder.

"Well fought, my liege," the gravelly sound of Gunter's voice sounded from behind him..

Gasping for breath, Corrin took Gunter's hand.

"Did…you see…where they…ran off to?" he asked.

Gunter shook his head. Corrin sighed. "Alright then. I guess we'll have to hunt her down," he said dejectedly.

"No, we won't need to," Azura said.

Gunter and Corrin looked at her in confusion. Azura's eyebrows furrowed. "I-I don't know how I know this place, but I feel like I've been here before, a long time ago. If my memory is correct, then the most likely hiding spot for that mage would be in highest room of the fort's tower."

Gunter frowned. "And how do you know that, young lady?" he asked sharply.

Azura frowned. "I-I don't know. It just…feels like I've been here before, in the past." She shrugged. "But trust me, they're going to be in that tower."

Gunter crossed his arms and opened his mouth to voice his objections. Xander interrupted him with a wave of his hand.

"Quiet, Gunter. For every minute we stand here, that's another minute that mage could have taken to summon up another set of guards. Let's get moving if we want to catch and kill that mage."

The group murmured their agreement and they took off running down the corridor.

* * *

At last, after another five minutes of running, fifteen minutes of fighting their way through guards, and another five minutes of running, they found the mage barricaded within the room. With a series of spells from Leo and brute force from Corrin, Xander, Ryoma, and Effie, they disassembled the doors and barricades and flooded into the room.

To their surprise, they had barely slain more than a couple of guards before the rest simultaneously collapsed to the ground, dead. Within a few seconds, all of the resistance that stood between them and the mage all but vanished.

The mage gave them a mock bow again. "So…you are capable of more than I thought," she said mockingly. Takumi conjured an arrow and aimed Fujin Yumi directly towards the mage.

"Careful about what you say. We lost a lot of good people today because of you," he scowled.

The mage smirked and continued undeterred. "Unfortunately, my king has asked for my presence by his side, so I'm afraid I won't be able to guide you and show you the wonders that Valla has to offer."

Takumi let the arrow fly. The mage made no effort to move out of the way or dodge the dart. Instead, she vanished amid a sudden flash of yellow light. As quickly as it appeared, the light vanished. Takumi's arrow flew straight through the space where the mage had once stood and shattered against the wall. Corrin looked around in confusion

"She…just vanished?" he blurted.

Leo blinked the spots out of his eyes. "Apparently. Disappearing into thin air? How unnerving." He sighed and relaxed on his horse.. "Either way, at least it looks like we have a break from fighting."

Takumi shouldered Fujin Yumi as Ryoma patted his shoulder. Turning on Azura, he asked, "Where are we, Azura? Is this the, quote-on-quote, 'bottom' of The Bottomless Canyon?"

Azura nodded. "Yes, it is. We've finally reached the home of our true enemy. This is the Kingdom of Valla," she said.

Xander frowned as he rubbed his chin in thought. "Valla?" he asked.

Azura nodded. "Yes, Valla. Long ago—"

"Hold on a moment," Ryoma blurted. Azura paused and looked at Ryoma with a look of concern.

"Is anything wrong, Lord Ryoma?" Leo asked.

"Where is Scarlet?" he asked. "She wasn't with us when we rushed the fort."

Almost simultaneously, everybody took a sudden interest in their boots. Azura reached up and placed a hand on Ryoma's shoulder. Corrin pursed his lips, hating himself for what he was about to do to his older brother."

"Ryoma…Scarlet is over this way," he murmured.

* * *

They had barely managed to clear the brush aside before Ryoma gasped and rushed forward.

"Ryoma! Wait!" Corrin called, to no avail.

Ryoma knelt down and cradled Scarlet's head, running his fingers through her spiky blonde hair. Corrin was surprised at just how quickly nature had reclaimed her body.

Even though Corrin's limbs felt as if he had gone a week of hard work without proper rest, Corrin knew that it had been less than two hours since they arrived in Valla from The Bottomless Canyon. In that relatively short amount of time, Scarlet's body had taken on a grayish pallor, her trademark spiky blonde hair now flat and limp.

"This…" Ryoma whispered, his voice suspiciously thick. "I can't believe this. How could this happen?" he asked.

Corrin opened his mouth to answer, but the only sound that came out was a choked gurgle. Ryoma closed his eyes and let a single tear fall down his cheek and onto Scarlet's face. Then, just as quickly, he rubbed his eyes and gently laid Scarlet back down on the floor. Standing back up, Ryoma said, "We must give her a proper funeral. It is only proper. It's the least we could do for her."

Quietly, the group murmured their assent. As Leo took Brynhildr out from underneath his armor, Xander laid a hand on Leo's shoulder.

"Perhaps we should do this by hand. It'll be more formal and respectful this way," he whispered.

Leo paused for a second, before nodding and putting the tome away. Slowly, almost simultaneously, everybody gathered around Scarlet's body, creating a rough circle. Prayers were said. Hinoka took Ryoma's hand and squeezed it. Leo wrapped an arm around Sakura as she wept. Takumi blinked furiously, trying not to cry.

Xander laid a hand on Ryoma's shoulder, murmuring words of reassurance into his ear. Gunter closed his eyes and made some sort of gesture with his hand. Silas pursed his lips as Camilla leaned on his shoulders, bawling uncontrollably. Azura stood next to Corrin and gently took his hand.

Finally, once Scarlet's body was wrapped in a shroud, the grave was dug, and the tears started to dry, Ryoma cleared his throat. Everybody turned towards him. Clearing his throat again, Ryoma spoke in his low, sonorous voice, "Scarlet Ismiradaughter. My ally. My friend. My…lover," here, Ryoma choked up. "You…were unlike anybody else I had ever met before. I wish…I wish things could have done differently between us."

Raising his voice, Ryoma said, "Even as you shed your mortal body to live among your brothers and sisters in the stars, you leave us with nothing our memories of you. To some, such a gift may mean nothing. To us, however, such a gift means the world to us. To us, it reminds us of your limitless courage, your unmatched liveliness, and of course, it reminds us of your unprecedented rebellious streaks. On my honor, as the high prince of Hoshido, I promise you that your death will not go unchecked. I promise that we will end this war in your name, and I promise that all peoples, whether they are Nohrian, Hoshidan, or some other people from a far distant land, I promise your tale will never be forgotten among them."

Ryoma swallowed. "It's time," he said. Leo and Odin both nodded gravely and raised their arms in preparation to cast a spell.

As they watched Scarlet's shroud inexplicably float into the air and into the grave by itself, Corrin whispered to Azura, "The flower she pinned on her chest plate…it's been burned away."

Azura nodded her head. Xander frowned and turned to look at them. "What are you talking about?"

Corrin rubbed his eyes. "We were the last one's to jump, so nobody saw—" Corrin paused as he saw Ryoma walk away. "Wait, Ryoma!"

Ryoma stopped and turned to look at Corrin. Corrin opened his mouth to speak, but for some reason, no words came out of his mouth. Corrin shook his head as he tried again. "I'm so sorry, Ryoma, but I just want you to know that Scarlet gave her life in service of me. She died protecting me and—."

"Stop," Ryoma ordered. Corrin clamped his mouth shut as he stared at Ryoma.

"Stop, Corrin," he repeated. "Don't say another word. Just…promise me something."

"W-what?" Corrin asked.

"Promise me…that you won't let her sacrifice be in vain. Promise me that," Ryoma said.

Corrin swallowed and gripped Yato's hilt tighter. "Yes. I give my word. I vow on the Yato."


	16. Chapter 16

"So this is Valla?" Xander asked.

Azura nodded. "Yes. I know it can be hard to believe, but Valla used to be a mighty, yet peaceful empire. It was quite friendly with the other kingdoms of the world. If my memory serves me correctly, I believe that even royal members from both Hoshido and Nohr would visit Valla," she said.

Ryoma frowned and shifted on the barrel he was sitting. The seven of them, Azura, Corrin, Xander, Ryoma, Leo, Takumi, and Gunter were all either sat or stood around an old rickety table. While clearing out the remaining Vallites in the fort, Corrin, Leo, and Xander chanced upon this particular room, which appeared to be the mage's own personal command center before she escaped. Once they were done clearing out the fort, Azura had asked them to meet her in this particular room.

Azura herself was standing at the head of the table, which was an unusually bold move for the quiet princess. Xander and Gunter elected to stand by the edges of the table, their arms crossed as they stared at Azura. Leo immediately took an interest in the maps sprawls across the table and gathered a pile of them and sat himself down in one of the corners of the room. Takumi stood moodily by the window, Fujin Yumi resting gently against the wall. Ryoma decided to choose to sit on a rickety looking old wooden barrel, which squealed in protest every time Ryoma moved. As for Corrin, he stood by the doorway, looking unusually grim, his arms crossed.

Ryoma rubbed his chin, his brow furrowed in thought. "That's odd. I've never even heard of such a land." He looked back up at Azura and planted his hand on his knees. "Are you implying that my father, or even King Garon, knew about this land?"

Azura nodded. "Of course. In fact, your Hoshidan Throne of Truth was a gift from the former Vallite king, King Theophilus. Of course, that was before the Silent Dragon, Anankos, usurped the throne. Once Anankos seized power, this land was changed."

Gunter frowned and glared at Azura. "How is it that you know so much about this kingdom?"

Over by the doorway, Corrin shifted uneasily. Azura felt uneasy herself, but she said, "I suppose I should explain that, as well. But first, I would like you to follow me. There is something I wish for you to see. Can you all please meet me in the courtyard? In front of the statue?" she asked.

Leo grudgingly packed up the maps and scrolls he was studying and stuffed them unceremoniously in his bag. Xander helped Ryoma, who was still a little distraught and shell-shocked after Scarlet's death, to his feet. Gunter gave Azura a pointed glare before leaving the room. As Azura prepared to follow them out, a hand suddenly wrapped around her forearm. Azura flinched, but quickly relaxed once she realized the hand belonged to Corrin. As Azura looked at him, she was surprised to see worry in his red eyes.

"Is there anything wrong, Corrin?" she asked softly, so that the others wouldn't overhear.

Corrin looked towards the doorway, checking to make sure everyone was out of earshot, before whispering, "Azura, I just want to let you know that Gunter…sort of hates you right now."

Azura frowned. "W-why would he hate me?" she asked.

Corrin sheepishly grinned. "Well, I suspect it may have something to do with us fawning over each other last battle, before we attacked the fort," he said.

Azura blushed as she realized what he was talking about. She opened her mouth to speak but Corrin interrupted her by lifting up a finger and placing it on her lips. "In any case, be careful of how you portray yourself. I know Gunter will never lift a finger against you unless provoked, but if he has even the slightest suspicion that you're against us, we'll both be in a lot of trouble," he said.

Azura blinked. "Why would he think that?" she asked.

Corrin glanced towards the doorway again. "I don't know. I'm guessing it's because he's loyal to fault, but I shudder to think about the other possibility."

Azura frowned again. "What's the other possibility?" she asked.

Corrin shook his head. "I don't know myself. In either case, I really hate to think about it, especially right now, after Scarlet."

Azura shrugged. "Alright, if you say so. In any case, we should probably get a move on. I'm sure they're waiting for us already."

* * *

"Huh," Xander said.

Leo squinted up at the statue. "Xander, this statue….do you recognize it?" he asked.

The statue was incredibly eroded and had a tree growing up around it. Somehow, the tree managed to grow up and around the main feature of the statue, creating a near perfect circle. Nestled with the bole was a carving of a dragon that held the end of its tail next to its mouth, as if it was curling up inside the tree.

Xander frowned as he rubbed his chin and stared at it. "Yes…it looks almost identical to that statue Father worships," he said, troubled.

"That…is a statue of Anankos, the Silent Dragon," Azura said.

Xander, Leo, Ryoma, and Gunter turned around to see Azura padding softly towards them, with Corrin following close behind.

"Anankos?" Leo asked.

"As you know, each of the kingdoms has a dragon associated with it," Azura continued. "Hoshido," she gestured towards Ryoma, "has the Dawn Dragon." She gestured towards Xander, "Nohr had the Dusk Dragon. Valla has Anankos, the Silent Dragon."

Azura gestured towards the statue. "Anankos was gifted with many gifts, including both unlimited knowledge and foresight. He was also the dragon that sacrificed his blood to the ancient Vallites," Azura said.

Xander frowned and rubbed his chin again, the crinkle between his eyes deepening. "What? But then…why would Father worship this…Anankos, instead of the Dusk Dragon?" he asked.

Corrin sighed and laid a hand on Leo and Xander's shoulders. "I'm sorry that we have to tell you this right now, but I'm afraid there's anything left of King Garon," he said.

Ryoma shifted and crossed his arms uneasily. "What do you mean? Are you saying that the man who sits on that throne…"

Azura nodded. "One of Anankos' gifts was the ability to possess people and reanimate and control the bodies of the dead. Even his mere presence, if only for a short time, is incredibly corrupting. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if it's only Anankos' magic that's keeping him together. To Anankos, your king is nothing more than a pawn, a servant."

Xander rubbed his temples. "I don't—I can't—"

"Anankos is using your father, or what's left of him, as a puppet to create wars and destroy the world" Azura said gently, laying a hand on Xander's other shoulder.

Leo scratched his head. "I don't believe it, but Father's recent behavior has done nothing to prove the contrary. If anything, it's proving your point." Leo suddenly pounded his fist into his other hand, an expression of anger on his face. "Damn that dragon! Why is he doing this to us?"

Saddened, Azura said, "I don't know why exactly, but my strongest guess at this point is because he sees Nohr and Hoshido as potential threats to Valla. If he can manage to conquer or ruin them, the other, smaller, kingdoms would have no chance of standing against him. I'm certain that all of us here have fought against invisible enemies outside Valla?"

Everyone grudgingly nodded, except for Leo who raised his hand. "Why are they invisible anyways?"

"These enemies are Vallites, soldiers of Valla and servant to Anankos. With his magic, Anankos is able to send them anywhere in the world and have them create destruction on an untold level. With them, he is able to orchestrate attacks on both Hoshido and Nohr and blame the other for their transgression," Azura explained. "That is why—"

"—and that's why we launched real attacks on each other, because we thought it was the other kingdom's fault!" Xander exclaimed.

"Exactly like what happened in Cyrkensia!" Leo said, understanding dawning on his face.

"And in order to bring peace between our two nations, we have to defeat this Anankos?" Ryoma asked.

Azura nodded. "Correct. That's our ultimate goal."

Gunter frowned. "I have only two questions, Lady Azura. Firstly, what is Anankos' intent? And secondly, since you know so much about these events, who are you, really?"

Azura pursed her lips. "I don't know what Anankos' true intentions are beyond trying to create wars between Hoshido and Nohr, and ultimately destroying the world. Anankos is insane, so I doubt even he knows why he's doing the things he does anymore. But as for me, this may come as a shock, but I am…a princess of Valla."

Everybody gaped at her.

" _What?_ " Xander asked.

Ryoma blinked. "Wait, so, then, you're originally from here? From Valla? Belonging to the royal family, no less?"

Takumi turned towards Corrin. "Did you know about this?" he asked.

Corrin slowly nodded his head.

"Why didn't you say something then? Takumi yelled.

Azura placed a hand on Takumi's shoulder. "Please don't yell. I asked him specifically to not tell anyone."

Takumi grudgingly sat back down on his log and silently glared at Corrin and Azura. Azura looked around at them. "I'm sorry for not telling any of you beforehand, but—"

Ryoma sliced his hand through the air. "Explain yourself," he interrupted. "Leave nothing out," he ordered.

Azura swallowed. "Yes, I belonged to a royal family, though there is no royal family to belong to. Anankos was the one responsible for killing my father, laying waste to Valla, and starting the wars between Hoshido and Nohr. When Anankos turned on Valla, my mother took me and fled. Everything I just told you about Valla, I learned from my mother."

Xander frowned. "I'm getting lost here. Maybe you should go back as far as you can, and tell us the story from there."

Azura sighed. "Very well then. You'd best take a seat then…"

* * *

"Much of what I say was either speculation, due to the destruction of most Valla's library's and scholarly places during Anankos' takeover. The rest is solely what my mother, Arete, told me as I was growing up in Nohr," Azura began.

"Long ago, there was a devastating war between what would later become Nohr and Hoshido. Refugees from both sides fled the conflict, and through some stroke of luck, they met a deity. This deity's name was Anankos. Using the Bottomless Canyon, Anankos brought the refugees into a previously unknown land. The refugees quickly founded their own kingdom, a unique mixture between both Hoshido and Nohr, and they called it Valla. In exchange for them being allowed and protected here in Valla, the people swore to honor Anankos forever, and for a long time, all was well."

Azura paused to wipe the tears from her eyes. She never enjoyed retelling the history of Valla, since it always brought up memories of her mother.

"As time passed, people began to fear and lose faith in Anankos, and for a good reason. He had an immense of power at his disposal, a sort of power that no human could ever hope to match. Even though most dragons take no interest in the meddling of us humans, Anankos always made time to make an appearance in court, and he was always a welcome and trusted advisor to the royal family. But that all changed as people slowly began to worship Anankos out of fear, not respect. Anankos was aware of these feelings, and slowly, his appearances in Valla's court slowly faded into nonexistence, and he retreated to dwell on his madness within his own privacy. Never did he forget the people's fear and distrust of him, and it seemed to drive him mad.

"It was nearly fifty years since his last visit that Anankos deemed himself appropriate to visit my mother and my father. My father, King Theophilus, was a good friend to Anankos, and was one of the few humans who were able to speak to him without sending the dragon into a rage. Unlike previous visits, this time, he appeared as a dragon, not a human. He had long shed his human form. Instead, he landed outside the palace walls and commanded my mother and father to bow before him and set in place a variety of policies that would ultimately end up isolating Valla from the rest of the world. At first, my father was reluctant to imprison his own people, but it was here that Anankos turned his friendship against him. He flew off in a fit of rage and destroyed a forest responsible for producing much of Valla's food and lumber.

"The destruction of such a bountiful place turned the people against Anankos, and they urged Theophilus to seek him out and make him pay for the destruction. Theophilus refused to take revenge against Anankos, but he agreed to meet with Anankos, hoping that he would be able to ease the dragon's madness and to beg for his aid. At the very least, he hoped that mere mention of his visit would be able to motivate the people into working again. But he never returned."

Azura dropped her voice into a low whisper, so that everybody had to lean forward to hear her words. "Once the people realized that Anankos was responsible for the death of Theophilus, they revolted and tried to kill Anankos. In his rage, Anankos cast three spells. The first was responsible for wiping all knowledge of Valla and its people from the rest of the world, including all written records and living memories. The second was used to raise a barrier between Valla and the rest of the world, so that it was impossible to travel to Valla unless you went through the Bottomless Canyon. Only those with Vallite blood, such as myself, are able to use water to travel freely back and forth."

Here, Corrin interrupted. "Wait, then how am I able to use this method then? I'm pretty sure that I'm not a Vallite, yet I'm somehow able to travel using water."

Azura shrugged. "I don't know. Perhaps it has something to do with you being part dragon. After all, your dragon is typically associated with water, is it not?"

Azura continuing with her story, she said, "The second spell erased all record and memories of Valla outside of its borders. The third was cast to curse the name of the kingdom, so that it may never be said outside of Valla. Doing so would cause your body to disappear and vanish, killing you."

Ryoma rubbed his chin. "So this land has a curse placed upon it?"

Corrin nodded. "Yes. That was why I couldn't explain anything until we got here."

Xander shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe this is all real: the story of a hidden kingdom, Hoshido and Nohr working together, Azura being a Vallite princess." Xander looked at Corrin and Azura. "Then our mission is clear. We must unite to defeat Anankos."

Ryoma nodded. "Yes. Hoshido and Nohr, working together towards a common goal…"

Xander glanced at Ryoma out the corner of his eye. "Is something bothering you, Ryoma?"

Ryoma crossed his arms, his mouth set in a grim frown. "Actually, yes. I've been thinking that—"

Ryoma was suddenly interrupted by a voice screaming for help. Corrin, Xander, Leo, Gunter, Ryoma, and Azura all instantly stood up, looking around for the source of the cry. Suddenly, Corrin pointed at the gate.

"Look! Over there! On the other side of the gate!" he shouted.

The person, which looked to be nothing more than a young boy, ran to the portcullis and desperately banged on the gate. Behind him, a couple of Vallite swordsmen appeared, their eyes blank as they slowly approached the boy. The boy looked back, saw the approaching Vallites, and proceeded to bang on the gate even harder.

"Please! Help me!" he pleaded.

Azura watched them struggle to raise the portcullis as Corrin reached desperately through the holes as he tried to reassure the boy that everything would be fine. For whatever reason, the Vallites continued to advance slowly, their feet dragging in the dirt as they slowly raised their weapons.

"Hurry!" Corrin shouted to Ryoma and Xander.

The two men gritted their teeth and continued to turn the lever controlling the portcullis as perspiration dripped down their faces. Finally, once there was a sizable gap underneath, Corrin called out, "Quickly! Crawl under the gate!"

The boy instantly dropped to the floor and awkwardly tried to crawl under the gate. Right as one of the Vallites managed to grab one of the boy's ankles, Xander and Ryoma released the lever, allowing the portcullis the fall back down. The Vallite withdrew its hand a split second before the gate settled. The two swordsmen shook their fists at them, and with the same blank expression, slowly shambled back into the woods.

Corrin knelt down. "Are you alright?" he asked the boy.

The boy nodded. "Yes! Thank you for saving me! Man, I can't believe I actually found you guys! I've been searching for you people for such a long time. You would not believe how long I've been—"

Corrin raised his hands and grinned. "Alright, hold on now. Slow down. Tell us your name, first of all, and where did you come from?"

The boy flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry. My name is Anthony and I used to serve as a page to the ruler of Valla."

Azura frowned. "You were…a page to Anankos?" she asked uncertainly.

Anthony furiously nodded his head. "Yes, yes! What remains of the people are trapped here, unable to leave. Everyone here is forced to as his slaves. I used to serve by his side, but lately…he's been acting strange. There was just _something_ about him that I could stand, so after many months and lots of careful planning, I was able to escape. Before I left, however, I heard rumors that there was a group of foreigners had somehow managed to enter Valla and were intending on planning to overthrow him, so I decided to try and find you guys and offer you information on how to overthrow him and whatnot!"

Azura nodded slowly. "Well, that explains why his forces are trying to chase you. As a page, you would be privy to nearly all of his secrets. But tell us, if you were indeed a page to Anankos, do you know where he is?"

Anthony nodded again. "Yes, of course! I spent years serving him!"

Takumi clapped Leo on the shoulder, much to the latter's irritation. "Alright! We'll be able to finally track him down!" he said jubilantly.

Anthony blanched. "Wait, what? Are you mad?" he exclaimed.

Everybody looked back at Anthony in surprise. Anthony blushed again. "S-sorry. I didn't mean any offense, but why would you want to meet him?"

Corrin shrugged. "Well, 'defeat' would be a more accurate term. Anthony, I know this is a lot to ask of you, especially since we just met, but could you lead us to where Anankos is?"

Anthony somehow turned even paler. "D-defeat him? I don't think that's possible! Y-you see, he's just too powerful! Plus, I just barely managed to escape with my life! And now you want me to take you back there?" he said.

Corrin placed a hand on Anthony's shoulder and looked him the eyes. "Please, Anthony. We can't do this without your help. I'm sorry to ask this so soon, but if you take us to him and we somehow managed to defeat him, I promise that you won't have to worry about him ever again."

Anthony looked down at his feet and kicked the floor bashfully. Corrin knelt down. "Please. Help us," he whispered.

Anthony sighed. "Alright. Fine. I'll help you. Truth be told, I was getting tired of running anyways. If you really want to know where Anankos is right now, he's set himself up in nearly impenetrable stone palace."

"And what is this stone palace called?" Corrin asked.

"Gyges," Anthony said. "Castle Gyges."


	17. Chapter 17

That night, dreams blurred and roiled within Azura's mind, each breeding and living by their own set of laws.

 _A lake glistening underneath the sun._

 _A dragon standing proudly in the middle of a destroyed city-plaza, roaring with grief and anguish._

 _Castle Gyges burning, a thick black smoke billowing hundreds of feet into the air._

 _A flash of light as a golden sword—Yato— burst into flames, its edges surrounded with its divine fire._

 _A crowd cheering, their voices tainted with outrage as they threw whatever they could get their hands on at a single man shuffling towards a set of gallows._

 _A baby's cry echoed throughout a nursery as its mother gently coddled it._

 _Anankos glaring at single figure running towards him, white hair and blue cloak flapping behind it ran, his numerous eyes full of murder and malevolence._

 _A hooded man standing between two doors, a congenial smile on his face._

 _The hooded man opened his eyes to reveal that shone as red as rubies and as bright as the stars._

 _A man kneeling before a woman, a ring made of onyx and diamonds, with a sapphire beset within its head glistening in the sunset._

* * *

Azura's eyes snapped open and she bolted upright, panting for breath. To her left, Elise yelped and groaned in discomfort.

"Oww…" she moaned, rubbing her cheek where Azura's leg had snapped forward, smacking her in the face.

Azura's eyes widened. "Oh gods, I'm so sorry! Are you alright Elise?" she asked. She ran cupped her step-sister's cheeks in her hands, turning her about to check for bruises.

Sure enough, a dull purple blotch was already starting form on her dainty cheeks. Elise grimaced as Azura touched a particularly sensitive spot on her bruise.

"Ow! Stop it! That hurts!" she exclaimed, smacking Azura's hands away from her.

Azura hastily withdrew her hands. "S-sorry," she apologized. "I-I just didn't expect, er, I'm not really _used_ to sleeping with…people, I guess."

Nobody had been willing to sleep in the fort, especially one where their enemies had just been occupying, but after Anthony revealed that Castle Gyges was a surprisingly short amount of distance away from the fort, they decided to remain in the fort and use it as a temporary base of operations. Laslow's, Severa's, and Odin's "acquaintance" showed up a couple hours later, bringing with them what remained of the army. Of the original thousands or so men, barely more than a few hundred had survived the trek to the fort; they immediately prioritized the wounded.

That meant most of the rooms were rented out to the healers and their patients, whereas everyone was forced to either sleep on the fort's battlements or in the courtyard, neither of which was very appealing. Luckily, Takumi _suggested_ that the royals should each have their own private rooms, on account of their elevated status. _That_ idea was almost immediately shot down, but then Xander suggested that they could share, three people to a room.

While none of them were very happy about taking away space from the healers and the wounded, none of them, Corrin and Azura included, really wanted to sleep in the courtyard. Thus, the idea was accepted and they all went their own separate ways. The only exception to this rule was Corrin, who insisted on taking the highest room in the fort's tower, where they had fought the mage. Nobody argued, since typically, sleeping in the same room where your opponent disappeared was what most would call _a terrible idea._

Corrin simply shrugged and hefted his bedroll up the stairs. Meanwhile, Elise, Sakura, Hinoka, and Camilla decided to all bunk together. Azura thought about asking Ryoma, Leo, Xander, and Takumi if she could bunk with them before almost immediately rescinding the question.

The only possible solution besides sleeping next to Camilla and Elise was to sleep with Corrin, and quite frankly…Azura wasn't _quite_ ready for that yet. _Yet_.

Elise pouted and rubbed her cheek. "Yeah, well, I guess it's alright." She lifted a finger and waved it threateningly. "Just don't kick me again, you hear me?"

Camilla moaned and turned over, her trademark purple hair hiding her eyes as she stretched. On the other side of her, Hinoka and Sakura continued to sleep soundly— or in the case of Hinoka, snoring loudly.

"Now, now," Camilla chided. "Be nice to your sister, Elise. You know how her nighttime spasms are out of control."

Azura nodded gratefully "Thank you, Camilla, but honestly, I'm really sorry, Elise. I didn't mean to—" Azura paused midsentence, her mouth open in protest. "Wait what? What do you mean by 'spasm'? I do _not_ spasm! I just have…trouble falling asleep sometimes, that's all!"

Camilla lazily opened an eye and brushed aside her hair. "Please, we all know how destructive you can be in your sleep, at that's not even taking your hair in the mornings into consideration. You know, I heard some people say that when it comes to a 'Who is More Destructive?' contest between you and Felicia, you would undoubtedly win when it comes to bedroom business. Speaking of which, we can all hear your cot squeaking and creaking at night back in Corrin's castle. At first, I thought it was something else entirely, but then I realized how tired you seem every morning. You kicking Elise merely added more firewood to the bonfire," she said nonchalantly.

Azura glared at Camilla before tugging her blanket up to her chin and over her head, covering her entirely. The blanket smelled like the underside of a sheep's stomach, but at least she didn't have to put up with the teasing.

Elise pouted. "Aw…I think you made her mad, Camilla" she whispered.

Camilla didn't respond but Azura felt a hand rest on her head. "Alright, alright, Azura. I'm sorry. Your spasms aren't really spasms. They're more like really violent tossings. I know what you're going through right now, and quite frankly, nobody could blame you for being in this situation."

Azura did not reply but drew the blanket around her tighter. Camilla sighed and patted her head again. "Trust us. All of that was in good fun. We're all happy for both you and Corrin, and we both have an idea of what you're feeling right now. Coming back to a kingdom you were forced to leave? Being forced to usurp a dragon? I know our experiences weren't as… _extreme_ as yours, but we both know how you're feeling."

Azura did not respond but continued to wrap herself in the blanket. Camilla and Elise both looked at each other and gave a small giggle. Azura yelped as she felt the bedroll underneath her being wrenched out, leaving her sprawled out on the floor in her nightgown, revealing…well, everything. Azura hastily pushed the hemline down to preserve some of her dignity. Annoyed and shivering from the contact with the cold stone floor, Azura wrapped the blanket beneath herself before glaring at Camilla and Elise and trying to reach for the bedroll without actually moving.

The two of them looked at Azura, looked back at each other, and looked back at Azura before simultaneously bursting into laughter. On the far side of the room, Hinoka gave another snore, and Sakura sleepily sat up, yawning.

"What…what's going on?" she said blearily.

Elise jumped up and hid behind Sakura. "Well, I was sleeping, and then Azura kicked me in the face! And then Camilla woke up, and she said that Azura liked to spasm in her sleep, and they she hid underneath her blanket, and then we pulled the mattress out from under her, and now she's really mad!" she said excitedly.

Sakura gave a small smile, though it quickly faded as she saw the glowering head of Azura sticking out from beneath her blanket-cone. Sakura shook her head before laying back down.

"I _do not_ spasm," Azura growled.

Camilla gave a small laugh and pushed her over. "C'mon, Azura. Loosen up a little bit. I know we're in a war and about to fight a dragon, but sometimes, we just need to have a little bit of fun, every once in a while, you know? Like girl-on-girl time!"

Azura made a sound of indignation as she snatched the bedroll dangling out Elise's hands. "How could—? How do—? _Why?_ ," she stammered.

Camilla sighed and rolled her eyes. "You _are_ too easy. You're just like Corrin, sometimes!" she gushed. Azura did not reply but placed the bedroll back under herself and laid back down. With a huff of air, she turned around so that she faced the wall.

Elise sighed and gently shook Azura's shoulders. "C'mon, big sis! Don't stay mad at us!"

"Go away," Azura grumbled.

"I'll do your hair for you in the morning," Elise said in a sing-song voice.

"No. Go away."

"I'll take you to Corrin. _Right now_ ," she said in the same sing-song voice.

Azura hesitated for a moment. "No…"

"You sure? You sounded like you really wanted to see big brother!" Elise said.

"Stop it."

Azura pursed her lips and shoved her head underneath her pillow. Her hair would pay for it in the morning, and having a thin layer of cloth between you and the cold stone floor wasn't exactly the most comfortable thing in the world, but Azura would gladly taken it over her siblings' teasing. Truth be told, Azura actually _wanted_ to be with Corrin right now.

In the past few weeks, they've done nothing but grow ever closer. It was only in the last month before the invasion that Azura actually _felt_ anything whenever she was with Corrin. She couldn't describe it exactly what it was, but it was a sort of _yearning,_ the good kind of hunger that made you want more, not the kind that drained you of your vitality and life.

At first, Azura was hesitant to follow through on such emotions. After all, they had only been courting for barely less than half a year, and besides, when would they ever have time? Azura herself was just too shy and reserved to go up to Corrin and blatantly tell him what she wanted, and Corrin often found himself stuck in war meetings for sometimes half the day.

Azura sighed and turned over, doing her best to block out the giggling. Eventually, Camilla and Elise both gave up, and they slowly fell back asleep. As soon as Azura heard their snores, she silently rose up from underneath her blankets, covered herself appropriately, grabbed a long cloak made of some leathery hide, and padded silently to the door. She only paused before opening the door, waiting for Hinoka's snore to drown out the squeaking.

It took a couple snores, but at last, Azura was able to successfully exit the room without rousing her sisters. As she slowly closed the door, she blessed herself that she still retained her sneakiness from her childhood. She silently padded down the hallway, taking care to make sure her footsteps fall as quietly as she could and to avoid any sentries. It wasn't long before she found herself at the base of the stairs leading to Corrin's room. Azura sighed and hitched up her nightgown as she slowly and silently climbed the steps.

Meanwhile, back in the room, Camilla and Elise both giggled and gave each other a knowing smile.

* * *

 _Knock knock._

Corrin's eyes snapped open as he his arm jerked forward, knocking over the open ink bottle in front of him, causing the black liquid to spread over the table. Corrin cursed and tore his shirt off his chest as he tried to stymie the flow of ink spreading across the table. A breeze blowing in through the open window picked up one of the maps and promptly slapped Corrin in the face, obscuring his vision. Corrin cursed again and tore the map off his face. He gritted his teeth as a second set of _knocks_ rapped against the door. He stomped over to it, his fists clenched.

"For the _last_ time, Anthony," he started. "It's alright! I don't need your help looking at maps, and you don't need to come apologizing to me every couple of minutes, so could you—"

Corrin's breath caught in his throat as he threw open the door.

"Azura?" he said in surprise. "Oh, erm, Azura! What're you doing here? Is there something wrong?"

Azura rose an eyebrow quizzedly and pointed at Corrin's face and bare chest. "What happened to you?" she asked.

Corrin laughed sheepishly and grimaced. "Oh, um, nothin!" he stammered. "I just...had an accident with my ink jar on my table," he explained, shrugging as if it was a mere inconvenience.

Azura frowned and pushed past him into the room. She stooped to pick up a pencil and picked up Corrin's ink-sodden shirt with the end of it. "I don't think this is a mere 'accident,'" she said.

Corrin raised and lowered his right shoulder ruefully. "Eh, it's nothing, really." Corrin soon became self-conscious of his naked chest as a particularly cold breeze blew into the room/ He shivered involuntarily, but Azura noticed and frowned.

"You really need to learn when to close your window," she said as she crossed to the other side of the room. As she pushed the latch closed, she added, "But in all honesty, please, leave the shirt off." Azura felt herself blush as she glanced at Corrin's chiseled torso. "It really...makes your scar stand out."

Corrin froze in the middle of pulling another shirt over his head. His hand unconsciously moved down to the scar on his belly, where a Faceless had managed to impale and stab him with a sword stuck through its gut.

"Oh! Um, if you want," he stammered.

Corrin pulled the shirt off his head and sloppily folded it into a square, like what he had seen Jakob or Flora do so many times before. To his frustration, though, no matter what he tried, the shirt refused to fold neatly and he tossed it into his bag. He turned to look at Azura, who was busy quietly and efficiently cleaning up the mess on his desk. She dabbed at the ink puddle with a rag that she had picked up off the floor, humming absentmindedly to herself.

Corrin smacked himself in the forehead with his hand. Why didn't _he_ use the rag? It was sitting there the whole time, wasn't it? Corrin smiled and shook his head as he watched Azura work. He walked over to her and tried to straighten up the books before he felt Azura's hands wrap themselves around his wrist. He looked at Azura in confusion.

She smiled at him and pushed him away from the desk, waving her hand dismissively. "You should sleep," she said. "Let me clean this up for you. Just go and take a break. We've been through a lot today."

Corrin scoffed and wrapped an arm around her. "Oh please," he said. "Today wasn't _that_ bad. I mean, sure, I only almost died a couple times, but that's to be expected, seeing that we're in a war, after all," he said lightheartedly.

Azura frowned and crossed her arms. "How do you do it?" she asked.

Corrin blinked. "What...do you mean? What do I do?"

Azura sighed and waved her dismissively. "I mean, how do you stay so cheerful and optimistic and...and...and so _energetic_ all the time?" she asked.

Corrin's brow furrowed as his face hardened. Azura hastily added, "I mean, if you don't want to talk about it, t-that's fine, I mean, I would understand if you didn't want to talk about it."

Corrin shook his head. "No, no, it's fine. It's just that..." Corrin paused to take a breath. "It's just that I never expected for all of this to start off this badly. I mean, I know Scarlet's death was part of it, but I'm talking about something else. Something...deeper and older than that."

"Oh."

Azura felt Corrin's arm fall limply off her shoulders as he slumped onto his cot. He sighed and pushed his hair back. "I didn't know," he said flatly.

Azura raised an eyebrow. "Didn't know what?" she asked.

Corrin shrugged halfheartedly. "I didn't know how all of this would be like this," he said. He vaguely gestured with his hands towards the room and window. "This. Valla. Being outcasted by both Hoshido and Nohr in the beginning. Sometimes, I wonder what would've happened if I _did_ die in that explosion. I-I mean, I know that if I had been killed that day,we would've never been able to unite Hoshido and Nohr to stop Anankos, but still...I wonder if had I been killed in that explosion, would all of these deaths been avoided? All these people who were forced to travel down to Valla for our cause only to die a senseless death against an enemy they know nothing about?"

Azura pursed her lips, unsure of how to respond. She wanted to plant her hands on her hips and say _That's ridiculous. We need you._ Usually, Corrin preferred her bluntness, but in moments like these, Azura could actually see the light flickering out in Corrin's eyes; so she walked over to him and tried to sit next to him. Corrin automatically scooted over to make room for her. Azura put a hand on Corrin's shoulder.

"You shouldn't think about things like that, Corrin," she said. "Trust me, I know what you're feeling, and it's this thing called 'survivor's guilt.' Anankos _used_ Garon to send you to Hoshido so that he could kill you, that is true, but he only tried to kill you because you were a _credible_ threat to him and his plans. "

Corrin opened his mouth to object but Azura interjected by placing a finger on his lips. "Just listen," she hushed. "I know what you're feeling right now: all these feelings of stress and anxiety and guilt of you senselessly leading people to their deaths. You have to remember that they all signed up to be soldiers for the sole purpose of laying their lives down in order to protect their country, and if Anankos is threatening their country, you can be damn well sure that these soldiers will lay down their lives without hesitation. Feeling like you shouldn't be the leader of our forces and loathing yourself isn't going to help the people who need you to be strong right now."

"I-I can't—"

Azura tightened her grip on Corrin's shoulder, causing him to grimace and flex away. Azura loosened her grip and apologized. "Sorry. Point is, everyone who followed you here _wanted_ to be here. True, some of them might be scared, but that's no reason so let your hopes down just because one or two men in a group of a hundred feel so. I don't know how this is all going to end, but I know for sure that you should do your best to be ready for anything, and let fate decide for you. Let fate choose the path for you to take, and pick up the pieces after it's all over."

Corrin said nothing but hunched his shoulders, staring intensely at the ground beneath his feet. Azura rested her head on his shoulder. She could feel his body shaking, ever so slightly.

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, Corrin sat back up and looked at Azura, the light in his eyes whole and unbroken once again. He took Azura's hand and wrapped his fingers around hers. He lowered his head and rested it against her chest.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Azura's breath caught in her throat as she felt Corrin's hair tickle her neck. She smiled and absentmindedly stroked the back of Corrin's head.

"You still haven't told me how you acted so optimistic and energetic all the time."

The words were out before Azura could stop them, and she kicked herself mentally. _Stupid!_

Corrin simply lifted his head, shrugged and looked away. "I don't know. I just... _do._ I thought that if I lifted everybody's spirits around me, I would lift my own too, I guess," he said.

Suddenly, he chuckled and shook his head, a wry smile on his face. "Turns out, the best way for me to deal with these kinds of problems is to talk to you, Azura." she said.

Azura blinked in confusion before realizing. She smiled at him. "Of course," she said. "That's why we're together, is it not?"

Corrin laughed and stood back up. Azura remained sitting on the bed, her hands on her lap. Corrin turned to look at her, the light in his eyes strong and unified once again.

"You never did tell me the _real_ reason you wanted to see me. You just sort of barged in here and proceeded to give me a lesson on psychology," he said, waggling a finger at her.

Azura laughed and waved a finger haughtily at Corrin. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she asked before pursing her lips. "Well, I mean the truth was that I sort of had a bad nightmare and…I couldn't really sleep, especially after I accidentally kicked Elise in the face…cause, you know, bad nightmare?" she said.

Corrin crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway. "What…kind of nightmare?" he said suspiciously.

Azura shuddered involuntarily. "I…don't know" she said slowly, rubbing her shoulders. "I mean, it wasn't really _nightmare_ nightmares, per se, but it certainly was…odd."

Curious, Corrin crossed over to her and sat down next to her again,the bed creaking as it took Corrin's weight. "Oh? How so?" he asked gently.

Azura shrugged. "I can't really explain it. It was sort of like a series of visions of things happening, like I saw a lake, and then I saw Anankos, but then there were other things too, like a set of gallows, I think? I don't know. Quite frankly, I barely remember most of them, all I know was that It was weird."

Corrin nodded slowly and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. For a second, Azura had the ridiculous image of Corrin with a full beard smoking a pipe as he leaned back on a rickety old chair. Before she could stop herself, Azura let out a small giggle. Corrin turned to look at her, perplexed.

"What? What's so funny" he asked.

Azura felt the mirth die inside of her as she turned away. "Nothing," she said flatly. "I just had a ridiculous image in my head, and I thought it was funny, but now its not," she said.

Corrin did not respond but Azura could feel the bed move under her as Corrin scooted closer to her and wrapped his arms around her midriff. Azura resisted for a second before surrendering and lifting her arms to let Corrin fully wrap himself around her.

Azura tensed as she felt Corrin's lips next to her ear as he whispered. " _Tell me."_

Azura sighed and sank into his body. "Fine," she pouted. "I had an image in my head, for a second, of you with a beard, stroking it ever so gently, while you smoked a pipe and leaned back in a chair in some rural countryside." She said. "That's it. That's all there was."

Azura felt Corrin's breath rush past her ear as he chuckled. "Really? Is that all there was?" he said.

Azura felt herself blush and covered her face with her hands. "Stop!" she said. "That's why I didn't want to you! I knew you were going to laugh at me for thinking something so mundane was so funny!" she said.

Corrin grinned and planted a kiss in her hair. "Azura, I promise that I wasn't laughing _at_ you, I was laughing _with_ you," he explained.

Azura said nothing but peeked at Corrin through her fingers curiously. "What do you mean?" she said.

Corrin laughed again and squeezed her midriff apologetically. "I mean, to be honest, one of the things I want to do after this is all over is to grow a beard. Not a huge, thick one, but a small, scruffy one, so that I could feel something was there whenever I rubbed my chin," he said.

Azura dropped her hands from her face. "That…would be wonderful," she said. "But I would much rather prefer to see you clean-shaven."

Corrin grinned "Why? I thought you just said you would like me to have a beard?"

Azura huffed, though it was clear she was enjoying the conversation. "No, no, I was saying that I found the _image_ of you having a beard and smoking a pipe in some faraway countryside to funny. I never said that I wanted you to actually _grow_ a beard!"

Corrin smiled and squeezed her again. "Well, then, you should've been clear about it," he said jokingly. He touched his chin. "I mean, if you _really_ wanted me to grow one, I _could."_

Azura rolled her eyes. "No, its fine," she said curtly.

Corrin playfully squeezed Azura's knee, right where she was ticklish the most. Azura yelped and squirmed away, clumsily batting aside Corrin's hands. " _Corrin, stop,_ " she said, exasperated.

Corrin chuckled and continued to tickle her. "C'mon!" he said. "Just say you want me to grow a beard, and I can do it right here and now, right under your nose!"

Azura managed to push Corrin's hand away from her knee and pushed Corrin off the bed. " _Corrin,"_ she said again, more harshly this time.

Corrin laughed out loud this time and giddily kissed her cheek. Azura huffed and crossed her arms, but it was clear by the small smile she had on her face that she was enjoying every moment. Despite her harsh tone, she wasn't angry. Corrin apologized anyways and gave her another apologetic kiss on her cheek walking back to the desk to finish cleaning up the mess.

"Alright, alright. I'll stop teasing you. All I'm saying, is if you _really_ wanted me to grow a beard, I—" Corrin paused midsentence to let out a yawn. "—can grow one for you."

Azura smiled. "I'd like to see you try,"

Corrin frowned. "Hey….don't underestimate my ability to grow facial hair."

He dabbed ineffectually at the ink puddle, before finally giving up at throwing his ink-saturate shirt into the corner of the room. Azura looked at him quizzedly.

"What happened?" she asked.

Corrin shrugged. "Eh, it's not that important."

He waved a hand dismissively towards her. "You should get some sleep, Azura."

Azura frowned. "What about you? You take the longest out of anybody to get up in the army, _and_ we need you to be alert tomorrow."

Corrin frowned and glanced at her through the corner of his eye. "Well, I promise you that after I finish whatever I was doing, I 'll go to bed, alright?"

Azura stared at him and stood up. She walked over to Corrin. "What _were_ you doing before I came up here anyways?" she asked.

Corrin said nothing but slid a sheathed knife beneath some scrolls. "Oh, nothing. Just trying to find the map that Anthony told us about, you know, the one that had the bridge drawn upon it. You know what I'm talking about?"

Azura rolled her eyes as she grabbed Corrin by the hand and dragged him to the cot. "Come on, you," she said. "If it's so important to you, let me work on your problem while you sleep. We'll take turns, see?"

Corrin frowned and yawned. "Nah, nah. Trust me, I'm the one in charge of this army, so it's my responsibility to plan out the route for the next day," he said feebly.

Azura scoffed and pushed him down onto the bed. "Psh, nobody's going to notice if I'm the one to do it," she said.

Corrin chuckled but laid down on the cot. He raised a hand and waved it listlessly towards Azura. Azura smiled and wrapped her fingers around his. "Just wake me when you need me, alright? I don't want you to work on this all night. When you can't go any further, just wake me up, and then we'll switch, alright?"

Azura nodded. "Of course."

* * *

Azura smiled as she watched him sleep for a few minutes, his hand still wrapped around hers. She reached over him to shutter the lantern. Oftentimes, Corrin laid completely still when sleeping, even to the point where Jakob and Flora would sometimes panic and think that he was dead if they walked in on him sleeping. On the other hand, Azura herself was probably as close as any human could be to being called a "human tornado."

Back in Hoshido, Azura often spent her nights flailing about, trying to find a comfortable position as she thought back to everything she did that day. More often than not, Azura would find herself dwelling on what she said to that maid she accidently bumped into three months ago, wondering other words she could have said to alleviate the embarrassment.

It was only when she met Corrin that Azura was finally able to fall asleep slightly more easily. The downside was that every time she found herself passing into her waking dreams, there would always be faces. Her mother's face, gasping for breath, as she dissolved into water. Mikoto's face, serene and noble, even unto death. Sometimes, there would be some good faces among the dead, such as Sakura blushing when Ryoma complimented her kimono, or when Corrin smiled at her playfully, his ruffled white hair gently rustling in the wind.

As the war continued on, Azura found herself seeing less and less of faces, and more of their deaths. Garon kneeling on his knees, Arete is his arms as he pleaded for her to stay with him, even as she turned into water. Mikoto's anguished screams as those horrible spikes entered her body.

The more Azura dreamed of those moments, the more twisted they become. Sometimes, Arete turned into blood as maggots crawled out of Garon's eyes and mouth as he turned towards her. Other times, Mikoto's would turn her head completely around to look at Azura, her eyes black and dripping with blood as she cackled " _It's all your fault."_

But despite the twisted nightmares Azura found herself waking up from, she would always awaken to the sound of Anankos' roar, to the sight of him perching on the roof of Castle Gyges as he looked reproachfully at Azura and her mother as they fled towards the lake near the palace.

Azura shook her head, trying to rid herself of those memories. She gently climbed in next to Corrin. Despite still being asleep, Corrin automatically wrapped her arms around her waist, allowing her to rest her head over his heart. Normally, whenever she was with Corrin like this, cooped up next to him with his arms around her, listening to the reassuring beat of his heart, the only words Azura could use to describe herself was "safe" and "warm."

Tonight, however, was different. Azura spent the next half-hour turning about, trying not to wake Corrin with her flailing limbs and tried to force herself to fall asleep. Finally, fed up, Azura quietly rose from the bed and padded silently to the desk. As she tried to open the lantern again without making any actual noise, she turned to glance at Corrin.

Even in sleep, his face was scrunched in a way reminiscent of whenever he encounters a problem or puzzle that he was unable to solve at first, only to discover an obvious, if not easy, solution mere minutes after Leo solved it for him. Normally, Azura found that face endearing, even cute, but if he was making that face in his sleep, then that means there even more things going on in Corrin's mind that he wasn't telling her about.

Corrin was an easy-going person, sociable and charismatic, who rarely hid things from Azura, but even he had his limits. Corrin despised not being to help those in need, and despised having people getting hurt for him even more.

Azura looked around the room critically. She didn't pay much attention to the details of the room when she first entered the room, as she was more interested in the room's inhabitant. While the edges of the room were cluttered with bookshelves, weapon racks, and desks, the middle of the room was mostly barren, save for a desk on which it was covered with all sorts of maps and books. A few book shelves and weapon racks were stacked up against the walls, their shelves holding musty tomes and weapons.

Azura glanced bitterly at the silver banner hanging over the hearth as she made her way over to the desk. While Anankos apparently decided to leave Valla's national emblem unchanged, he also made his own addition to the insignia, namely that of a dragon's head, an orb covered with eyes in the place of its mouth place directly behind the emblem.

Azura averted her gaze from the banner as she finally managed to light the lantern. She quietly pulled out a map from underneath one of the tomes resting on the desk and spread it out across the table. The room was apparently the mage's private quarters, and judging from the notes stuck onto the tomes and desk, she had been expecting Corrin and his company for quite some time. As Azura looked over the map, she thought back to the mage

The mage had never taken off her hood, but something about her voice seemed…familiar to Azura. The way she pronounced her " _I"_ s, the formal and clipped tones, all of it reminded Azura of one of her oldest memories, though she wasn't sure which one it was.

Azura tried to put the thought of it out of mind as she looked down at the map. Anthony, the boy that Corrin had rescued from the Vallites the other day, had revealed that there was a hidden "backdoor entrance" into Castle Gyges, and in order to find this "entrance" they would need to cross a bridge connecting two floating islands together. Unfortunately, Anthony later sheepishly admitted that he had forgotten where the bridge was, which meant that Corrin, Leo, and Azura were responsible for finding a map of the area that included the bridge. At first, Azura had been somewhat amused to see Leo and Corrin, possibly two of the most educated people she knew, struggle to find a simple line, but now Azura knew the difficulty of their task.

Most of the maps were drawn _before_ Anankos invaded and literally uprooted the land, which meant that they needed to guess which island fit with each other, like a giant jigsaw puzzle, and determine whether or not said island had a bridge connecting it to another island.

The entire process was…tedious…to say the least.

A more apt word would've been "aggravating," since Anthony insisted on constantly apologizing to Corrin and Azura. At first, such behavior was amusing, if not annoying, but as Anthony continued to interrupt them in order to apologize, both Corrin and Azura found themselves growing irritated with his constant apologies.

Finally, it ended when Anthony burst into the privy while it was occupied by Corrin. Corrin _literally_ snapped at him by transforming his right arm into a gaping dragon mouth and proceeded to literally kick Anthony out of the room. Azura chuckled at the memory before looking over another map.

Almost immediately, Azura could tell that this was going to be a sleepless night. Besides not showing any of the information Azura was trying to find, it appeared that majority of the writings on the maps were faded and made it incredibly hard to see. Azura sighed and pulled up a chair for her to sit in.

"This is going to be a long night…"


	18. Chapter 18

Corrin yawned and blearily sat up as he rubbed his eyes. He cracked them open to see sunlight streaming into the room through the cracks in the window. He blinked several times and swung his legs off the edge of the cot as he held his head in his hands, trying to remember what happened last night. It became clear to him almost immediately that the events of last night had not been some fevered dream or vision, as he might have assumed, when he heard a quiet snore emanating from his desk. He lifted his head to see Azura sprawled out in his desk, her hair in disarray as she snored softly, a small puddle of drool forming on the desk by her mouth.

Corrin watched her silently for a moment, taking in the sight of her closed, loose eyes and her back rise and fall ever so slightly as she breathed. He thought it a bit amusing, if not gratifying, to see her in such a state of relaxation

Normally, Azura was reserved, if not downright unsociable, was a result of silently bearing all of her own troubles and burdens on her own shoulders. Part of the reason why Corrin felt so _attracted_ to her was because he appreciated her own determination and unwillingness to give up in the face of anxiety. That being said, sometimes, Corrin wished that he was able to help her with her demons. Even when they had an opportunity to talk privately, Azura would often veer away from talks about casual topics, such as her favorite food or season, and more towards topics such as Anankos and the destruction of Valla.

Corrin didn't mind talking to her about such subjects, but sometimes he wished that Azura was able to escape from her burdens, or at the very least, make sure that she could share the pain with someone besides her. Corrin wanted to be that person.

Corrin grunted as he stood up, trying to put such thoughts out of his head. He raised his arms above his head as he stretched, the cool breeze wafting in from outside cool against his bare chest. One of Corrin's hands unconsciously fell down towards his stomach to scratch the scar running across the length of it. He stopped, however, once he became aware of what he was doing. After he felt that he had stretched enough, he walked over to where Azura was dozing. He frowned as he noticed the massive pile of tomes and papers stacked up beside her.

Making as little noise as possible, Corrin slid one of the papers out from under Azura. It was a map, to be sure, but Corrin squinted his eyes as he noticed the miniscule characters written in the margins of the paper. The loops of the "l's, the way all the words flowed together like water to make a single, unbroken chain of sentences, all of the writings could only be Azura's. Corrin's frown deepened as he noticed the dark bags under her eyes. As he did so, one of Azura's eyes fluttered open. Corrin crossed his arms and looked down at Azura as she yawned and blearily sat up.

"Good morning," he said.

"Good morning," she replied. "How…did you sleep?" she said with a yawn.

Corrin set the map he was holding down in front of Azura. Azura jumped as his hand slammed into the table. "I thought I asked you to wake me up whenever you got tired?" he said.

Azura rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes as she looked up at Corrin sheepishly. "Well, I mean…I felt like I was really close to a breakthrough, and you know how hard it can be sometimes to wake you up," she said sleepily.

Corrin felt a wry smile form on his face as his displeasure faded. "Oh really?" he asked. "Is that the only reason?"

Azura blushed and fiddled with a strand of hair that fell across her face. "Well…no," she said. "I mean…I was sort of enjoying watching you sleep."

She looked up at Corrin, who was grinning. Azura could feel a smile of her own forming as she said, "Stop! Stop laughing!"

Corrin tried to hide the smile. "I'm not laughing!" he replied. "I was just asking if that was the only thing! Though honestly, doesn't that sound a bit…creepy to you?" he asked.

Azura blushed as she stood up and wrapped her hands around the back of Corrin's neck and pecked him on the nose. "Well, you don't know how…cute? Yeah, cute, that's the word. You don't know how cute you can look sometimes when you're sleeping," she said drolly.

Corrin laughed, a short bark. "Ha! And you think I don't think the same?" he asked.

Azura stared at him in confusion. "W-what do you mean?" she asked.

Corrin put his hands around her waist. "I mean, do you realize just how _adorable_ you can be sometimes when you're sleeping? I mean, you got hair all over the place, you drool all over my desk, and your snores— _muah_!" He blew a kiss into the air. "Absolutely one of the cutest things I've set my eyes—er—heard upon in my life," he said affectionately.

Azura blushed and hid her face in the crook of Corrin's shoulder. "S-stop!" she complained.

Corrin laughed and planted a kiss in her hair. "Alright, I'll stop. It's too early for this kind of behavior in the morning anyways." He ran his hand up her back. "Anyways, since you decided to stay up all night, what did you manage to find?" he asked.

Azura excitedly pushed him away and bounded towards the table to snatch up a particular map. "Here! I found it last night and I was going to tell you, but…"

"But you fell asleep," Corrin finished, taking the map from Azura.

Azura sheepishly nodded. "Yeah. I decided to rest my eyes, so…"

Corrin's eyes squinted as he peered down at the parchment. Suddenly, he laughed and lifted Azura up by the waist and spun her around. Azura yelped but laughed as she held onto his arms. Corrin set her down on the floor and kissed her.

"Oh my gods! This is it! This is the one!" he exclaimed. "You did it!"

Azura smiled. "Wait, really? I thought—"

Corrin nodded excitedly. "Yes!" He pushed his hair back. "You don't understand, Leo and I have been looking for this one for _so_ long, and yet you managed to find it!"

Corrin kissed her again, giddy with excitement. Azura giggled and took Corrin's head in her hands and deepened it. They both remained that way, intertwined in each other's arms, until somebody knocked on the door.

Azura hastily pushed Corrin away as she opened the door. On the other side, Leo blinked in surprise, taken aback by the fact that Corrin was not the one answering.

"Oh! Good morning, Leo," Azura greeted.

Leo blinked again. "…Azura. You sound awfully chipper this morning. Might I endeavor to ask what you have been doing with Corrin last night?" he said formally.

Corrin peeked out from behind Azura's hair and held out the map. "Leo, you would _not_ believe this! Azura found it!"

"Found what?" Leo asked.

"The map! You know, the map that you needed to find the bridge?"

Leo's eyes widened as he glanced at Azura. He gingerly took the map and cleared his throat. "Ah, I see. Well done, Azura."

He took the map and looked it over. Satisfied, Leo nodded and bid them farewell. "Oh, and another thing," he said over his shoulder.

Corrin and Azura both raised their eyebrows. "Hm?"

"Try being a little bit quieter in the mornings, please? Also, I know you two…are, you know, but do keep in mind that we're still in the middle of a war, please? It wouldn't do if people found out that the two of you spent all night cavorting and whatnot."

Azura blushed. "We were _not_ cavorting!" she protested.

Corrin nodded in agreement. "Yeah! Hell, she didn't even sleep with me! She slept on the desk!"

"Corrin!"

"Ow!"

Leo smiled a little bit and blushed. "Yes, well, just letting you two know," he stammered before turning around and leaving.

Corrin pouted as he rubbed his arm where Azura had slapped him. "Wow, never knew your hands could be so…"

"Destructive?"

"Well, I was going to say 'strong,' but 'destructive' works too."

Azura smirked. "Well, you're asking for another one."

Corrin laughed and pecked her on the cheek before turning towards the cot. He looked over his shoulder and called out, "Hey, um, Azura?"

"Hm?"

"I think now would be a good time for you to…you know…get ready?"

Azura looked down at her nightgown before looking at the door. It wasn't too revealing, but the edge of the dress was a little bit short for descending a set of stairs. Anyone beneath her when she descended would get a very full view. She turned towards Corrin, who was pulling a shirt over himself and strapping on his armor.

"Oh, erm, Corrin?"

"Yes?"

"Do you mind if I borrowed your cloak?"

Corrin turned to look at her in confusion. "My cloak? Why?"

Azura gestured down to herself. "Well, I mean, I _am_ wearing a pretty short night dress, and pretty much nothing else…"

Corrin's eyebrows lifted in realization as he blushed. "Oh! Uh, yeah, you can take it. Just make sure you hand it back to me after you're done with it."

Azura thanked him and wrapped the cloak around her shoulders before leaving the room. Before leaving, Corrin called her name. She turned to see Corrin strapping his signature blue cape to the front of his armor. He looked at her in mirror.

"Don't forget, we have a meeting immediately after breakfast," he reminded her.

Azura paused, before nodding and running down the stairwell. Along the way, she bumped into a couple of patrolling soldiers, who all whistled and gave each other knowing elbow digs in each other's ribs as she ran past.

It was only until Azura ran into the room she shared with Hinoka, Camilla, Sakura, and Elise that she stopped to take a breath. Almost immediately, she felt Elise wrap her arms around her waist as the Nohrian princess looked at her with her purple eyes.

"Ohmygods! Azura! Howwasit? Wasitnice? Didyouguyssleeptogether? Whatdidyouguysdo? WasCorrinbeingawkward, orwashesupercharming?"

"Uh…"

"Now, now, Elise," said Camilla, who was busy brushing her lavender hair out of her eyes. "What goes on in the bedroom stays in the bedroom." She winked at Azura in the mirror.

Azura blushed as she pried Elise off of her. "Well, I mean…we didn't really _do_ anything. I mean, we talked. A lot. And there was hugging. And I guess there was a couple of times where we kissed?"

"And?" Hinoka pressed. "Is that all?"

Azura felt herself blush. "Well, we didn't actually _sleep_ together. I just…sort of dozed off on his desk."

" _WHAT?!"_ Elise blurted. "But…but…you two are _so_ perfect together! How come—"

Sakura peeked out from behind Hinoka. "W-well, Elise, I-I don't think that's appropriate, r-right now," she said shyly.

Azura could feel the heat rising to her face as she brushed past Hinoka and Sakura. She sighed as she picked up her brush and began the long process of fixing her hair. Despite herself, Azura could feel a smile rising on her face.

True, Elise and Hinoka were a bit too _extravagant_ for her taste, but they were her sister nonetheless. Sakura was the incarnate of a flower that no one could bear stepping on, and Camilla…well Camilla was Camilla.

She groaned as she picked up her dress, which was wrinkled from sitting on the floor all day. Camilla tugged at her lip as she saw Azura's plight.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, dear," she said. "We were simply…too excited and didn't notice your dress sitting on the floor before we trampled all over it trying to get to you."

Azura sighed. "No…it's all right. I never did care much about my appearance anyways."

* * *

Leo cleared his throat as he spread the map across the table. "We," he pointed to a square on the map with a baton he had procured from under his armor, "are here. This—" he moved the pointer next to a thin rectangle a couple of inches away. "—is the bridge that our informant said that he used to escape from Anankos." Everybody, including Corrin, nodded, and some murmured their agreement.

"However!" Leo said sharply. "We have several problems"

Everybody looked at one another uncertainly. "W-what's…the issue?" Sakura asked before clamping a hand over her mouth, as if she was afraid that she had said the wrong thing.

"S-sorry! I-I didn't m-mean to interrupt you like—"

"It's fine," Leo said, his ears turning a faint shade of red. "Anyways, the problems are that this 'escape route' our informant used is less of an escape route and more of a secret tunnel."

Takumi raised a hand. "And the other problem?"

Here, Corrin stood up and cleared his throat. "The other problem is that, according to Anthony, the main entrance is heavily guarded, which means that it will be damn near impossible to barge in through the front gate."

Everybody groaned in despair. "But!" Corrin interjected, lifting up a single finger for emphasis. "But, Leo, Laslow's, Selena's and Odin's 'acquaintance,'" he gestured towards a hooded figure standing in the shadows, who nodded when Corrin gestured toward him, "and I have devised a plan to get around this obstacle."

Everyone sat up, interested. Even Keaton and Kaden stopped grooming themselves and looked towards Corrin.

"My plan is that we launch a diversionary assault on the main entrance, thus allowing a small strike force consisting of me, Azura, Ryoma, Xander, and everyone else in my personal guard to slip in using the escape route and infiltrate the castle. Once we've managed to slip into the castle, they'll open the gates so that the rest of our army can enter. Once that's done, we'll engage Anankos and kill him!" Corrin said optimistically.

Camilla raised a manicured finger. "Question, dear."

Corrin pointed towards her. "Yes?"

Camilla brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Well, so far, I'm approving of your plan, but who is going to be leading this 'strike force' of yours? Who's going to be responsible for leading the army."

Here, Corrin faltered. "Oh, well, um, _I_ was planning on leading the strike team."

Corrin grimaced as the hall erupted into a cacophony of noise.

"You can't go! It's too dangerous!"

"I shall go in your place!"

"Ha, good luck with that!"

Corrin kneaded his eyes. "Alright! Enough!" he shouted.

Silence slowly fell back into place as everyone looked at Corrin. He looked around at each person, making sure to hold eye contact with them before moving onto the next person. "I know that most of you would argue that'll be too dangerous for me, but you forget, that's what most of you said when I rejected both Hoshido and Nohr. That's what all of you said when I volunteered to jump down into the Bottomless Canyon. And well—" Corrin gestured to himself. "Here I am!"

Everybody nodded and looked at each other uncertainly. "Well, he _certainly_ does have a knack for pulling through, no matter how hard the situation might be," Niles admitted.

Corrin sat back in his chair. "And besides, I _did_ say that I was planning on bringing everyone from my personal elite guard with me." His eyes twinkled. "I've heard that they could be…quite off-putting to anyone on the wrong side of their blades."

Xander cleared his throat. "Well, yes, but your flattery of us won't get you anywhere. We still need a figurehead to lead the army. It can't be me or Ryoma, since the other side would most likely riot against us. The only person both Hoshido and Nohr trusts is _you,_ Corrin."

Corrin opened his mouth to reply before a cough interrupted him. The hooded figure cleared his throat as he stepped out of the shadows, pulling his hood down to reveal a head of white hair, similar to that of Corrin's.

"I believe I can help with that," the man said.

Laslow and Odin looked at one another uneasily while Selena stood up. "A-are you sure?" the red-headed retainer asked, her voice unusually fraught with worry.

The white-haired man rolled his eyes. "When have I ever been wrong about something related to strategy?" he asked.

Selena pursed her lips and sat back down. Saizo stood up and pointed a finger towards the man, who calmly turned to look at him.

"Who the hell are you?" the Hoshidan ninja asked

The man stared at Saizo for a moment, before replying, "You'd better drop that dagger. Let me just say that it would be a _really_ bad idea to rush me down like that."

Everyone blinked in confusion and looked at Saizo, who took a step backwards in surprise. "How? How did—"

"How did I know?" The man chuckled. "Please, I haven't seen a single fighter here who hasn't shown me a dozen different ways to defeat you. Half of them don't even involve me using a weapon or tome."

Ryoma rose and glowered threateningly towards the prince. "Careful of your tone. You may have been singlehandedly responsible for saving the majority of our armies, but that does not mean you can talk to our retainers in such a way."

The man chuckled again and raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, fine, let me explain how I knew. I knew you were planning to attack me because I noticed how you were leaning mostly forward, and how your shoulders were tensed up, most likely because your legs were tensed up in preparation to jump onto the table in an attempt to rush me down. Since you only used one hand to point at me, it was safe to assume that you were using a one handed weapon. Since I could not see the weapon, nor was I able to see you rearing your other hand back in preparation to throw one of your 'shruikens,' the most optimal weapon for you to use against me would be a dagger. That, and adding to what knowledge I was able to glean from observing your behaviors, led me to believe that you, as a ninja, are not familiar with swords and would much rather use a shruiken or a dagger. Again, since I didn't see you rear your arm back, the only possible one-handed weapon that was small enough to hide in your hand would be a dagger."

Saizo glared at the man as he set the dagger down on the table. The man sighed and rolled his shoulders.

"Alright, admittedly, I may have gone off on a bad start." He placed a hand on his chest. "My name is Robin, and I am a famous strategist from Yli—er— Laslow's, Selena's and Odin's homeland."

Azura raised an eyebrow. "If you were so famous, how come we have never heard of you, Sir Robin?"

Robin shrugged. "Guess I just have a knack for thoroughly beating my opponents. Just ask anybody you meet if they've ever heard of 'The Tactician Magician,' but please, just call me Robin." He turned back towards Xander.

"To answer your question on who should lead the army while the rest of you infiltrate Castle Gyges, I volunteer for the position. I believe I'm qualified here due to my… _numerous_ years studying the art of war, and I believe I am the one here who has had any experience with sieges."

Silas rubbed his chin. "Admittedly, everything he's said is true. None of us here has had any experience with leading a siege, and in all honestly," he looked at Robin with something approaching respect. "In all honesty, the men like you."

Hinoka nodded. "Yeah. Most of men I've been talking to said that, besides me, you were one of the most caring people they have ever met."

Robin gave her a wry grin. "Yes, well, such bonds are the true strengths of this army," he replied.

"Alright then!" Corrin stood up again. "If we are all agreed, the person who will be leading the army in my absence would be…er, what was your name again?"

"Robin."

"Robin! All agreed?"

Everybody gave their own murmur of assent. "And everyone in here will be part is happy with the fact that they're in the strike force, right?"

Benny stood up and pushed his chair in. "Yes. Me and my pals never had a taste for serving in an army—until we heard about you. I reckon that I'm in."

Ryoma and Xander both stood up and awkwardly glanced at each other. "Er, the same applies for us," Ryoma said. "You've led us well over this past year. I would be honored to serve by you." Xander nodded in agreement.

"Alright then," Leo said, retracting his baton and sliding it back under his armor. "Is there anything else someone would like to say or point out?"

Azura coughed meekly into her hand and stood up. Everyone turned their heads to look at the songstress. For a split second, Azura felt the ridiculous urge to excuse herself and run out of the room, but Corrin smiled gently at her, his red eyes full of understanding. He made a slight motion with his head, urging her to continue. She took a breath to compose herself before saying, "There's one last thing."

Leo rolled his eyes at her. "Well, yes, that's pretty obvious." Despite his sarcastic remark, there was no bite in that bark.

Azura shot a glare at Leo before continuing. "Anankos," she started, "has the unique ability to 'corrupt' those around him. His roar is a death knell for man, a scream that silences all hope…"

"This sounds familiar…" Robin said quietly, almost to himself.

"Even being near him is enough to bring out thoughts about your worst fears and nightmares."

Elise pouted and crossed her arms. "Sure sounds depressing…"

"Those who are of weak-hearts or weak-minds will find themselves losing their sanity. Everything you think is right will feel wrong, and everything you know is wrong will feel right. We have to be careful about what happens out there. We need to be careful on who our true enemy really is. Our true enemy is Anankos, not each other. Make sure you know who is friend, and who is foe when we're marching out to fight him," she said.

Everyone nodded in acknowledgement and slowly filed out of the hall, one-by-one. Azura breezed past silently by Corrin, only giving him a light touch on his arm before disappearing. As Corrin looked up to watch her leave, he noticed that Robin was still inside, scribbling something down in a tome.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

Robin looked at him and smirked. "Oh, nothing much. A good tactician must be good at taking notes as he is at war tactics."

Corrin raised an eyebrow. "What are you taking notes for?"

Robin shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. Land. Anankos. Your sword." He snapped the tome shut. "It's just a hobby of mine: taking notes on things I notice whenever I travel to a new world."

"World?"

"Er—I meant land. Yeah. It's common knowledge between Laslow, Selena, and Owa—Odin and I, that I travel a lot."

Corrin crossed his arms. "So you must be pretty good friends with them in order to travel all the way down here to Valla in order to participate in a suicide mission, right?"

Robin looked around. "Alright, first off, don't say this is a suicide mission," he said in a hushed tone. "You're the leader of this army! If you use such a negative word to describe an already hard battle, how do you think people are going to feel? Secondly—" Robin winked. "This isn't my first time leading friends against insurmountable odds."

"Don't wink at me."

"If you say so. Anyways, one last bit of advice before I leave, make sure you know which retainers are yours. Anankos has placed servants all over the world, and the more cunning ones may not be so obvious."

On that departing note, Robin pulled his hood over his head, obscuring all of his face save his mouth, which grinned. He nodded once, towards Corrin before turning and leaving the hall, his purple coat billowing in the wind as he stepped outside.

"What an interesting man."

Corrin jumped to see Gunter walk up behind him.

"Gah! Gunter! Don't scare me like that!" Corrin yelped.

Gunter looked down at him. "My apologies, milord, but these are trying times, and trust can be scarce. I do not trust that man, and you need to make sure that you don't either." Gunter sniffed in disdain. "He's…not of this world. Like Laslow. Like Odin. Like Selena."

Corrin looked at him in confusion. "What? What are you talking about?" he said.

Gunter crossed his arms. "Just remember that not everyone you meet and know can be so kind," he said gravely before walking away.

Corrin watched Gunter walk away as he shook his head in disbelief. "'Trust me, don't trust people.' 'Trust people, but make sure you don't trust them too much.' People…"

* * *

"Corrin?"

Azura peeked in through the doorway to see Corrin sitting bare-chested on his cot, his head in his hands.

"Corrin, are you alright?" she asked.

Corrin looked up her and nodded. "Yeah. Sure."

Azura entered the room and sat down next to him. Corrin's eyes flicked upward to look at Azura in her simple white nightgown before scooting over to make for her as she rested her head on his shoulder. For a moment, the two of them were silent. Finally, Corrin spoke.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?"

Azura shrugged. "Sort of. On one hand, I'm ready to finish this. On the other hand," she looked at Corrin and blushed. "On the other hand, I wish we could spend more time together like this."

Corrin looked down at her. "What makes you think that we won't succeed tomorrow?" he asked.

Azura frowned. "Well, I mean—" she sighed.

Corrin gave her a rueful grin and wrapped his arms around her midriff as he leaned back against the wall. Azura leaned into him and she tucked her feet under her as she rested against Corrin's chest.

"No matter what happens tomorrow, I want you to believe that we will win," Corrin whispered.

"And what if we can't?" she whispered back.

"Then we will all be together, and all of your pains will be over," he said. "Just promise me this, alright?"

"What?" she asked.

Corrin touched Azura's face as she turned her head to look at him. "I want you to promise me that should things go awry…promise me that you'll run, that you'll make it out of here alive."

With a shocked expression, Azura pulled herself free from Corrin's arm as she paced back and forth besides the cot. Corrin stared at her helplessly. Finally, she spoke.

"What?" she whispered, partially to herself. "What sort of nightmare is this?"The man who I love no longer wants me by his side! Why?"

Corrin shook his head and placed a hand on Azura's shoulder. She shook it off furiously as she glared him, her eyes shining and her mouth set firmly.

"Azura! That's not true! I—"

Azura spun on her heels to stare at the wall. "It _is_ true! What do you think I'll feel if I was forced to flee while you lay dying? How do you think I would be able to live with myself?"

Corrin fell silent and stared down at his feet. "I…I don't know…" he admitted. "I thought…I thought that…" He shook his head, too choked up to say the words.

Azura shuddered, her knuckles turning white as she clench her fists. "You thought what? That I would accept just _leaving_ you to face a dragon by _yourself_? What sort of madman would I have to be before I let that happen? I would much rather die with you by my side than to continue living on without you!"

Corrin shook his head. "No…" he muttered. "I just thought that…no, I'm _grateful_."

"Grateful for what?"

Corrin looked up at her. "I'm grateful for having…for being able to know you. Not just as a friend and companion, but also as a lover. And it is that love that I would have you go. I know how you feel, and that this is the most I've ever asked of you, but please. For my sake, I would rather die knowing that you were safe and sound, than to die looking at your body."

Azura's breath hitched as she stared at Corrin. "And what if I refuse?" she said with a shaking voice.

Corrin shook his head. "If you choose to fight by me until the end…then…I shall honor your choice. All I want for you is to live on, and I would gladly give set my life down if it meant you being able to see another day." In an even quieter voice, he added, "But I understand if you wish to stay by me. And I understand why you feel the way you do."

Azura sobbed and rushed towards Corrin. Corrin gave a slight grunt as Azura's hands flew around his neck. "I will never abandon you," she tearfully. "All throughout my life, I was forced to watch as people I cared about and loved set their lives down in order for me to escape. I don't want that to happen again. Please, don't let that happen again, Corrin."

Though it pained him greatly, Corrin bowed his head and said, "I promise. As long as we're together, you have my word that I will never abandon you, or let you suffer by watching me being abandoned by you as you flee. If we're going to do this tomorrow, we'll do it together."

Azura gave another sob and sank onto the cot—her back stiff and upright—as she dabbed at her tears on the cuff of her sleeve. In a quiet voice, she said, "Promise me that you'll never ask for such a request ever again?"

Corrin nodded silently.

Azura's sobs slowly fell silent and reached out with her hands for Corrin. Without hesitation, Corrin rushed forward and threw his arms around her. As Corrin buried his face in her hair, Azura whispered into Corrin's ear, "I love you…so…so much."

Corrin tightened his embrace as he replied, "I love you too…Azura"


	19. Chapter 19

"So, Anthony…" Corrin said as he walked up behind Anthony. Anthony flinched and jumped as he turned his head to face him.

"Y-yeah?"

"What…do you remember about serving Anankos?" Corrin said casually.

Anthony shuddered and put his hands in his coat pocket. "I-I…don't really like to talk about that," he said after a long pause. "I-I mean, if you really want to know, I guess I could tell you, but I-I really don't want to talk about that. Especially now."

Corrin cringed. "Oh yeah, I guess serving a mad dragon must've been pretty rough on you. How long have you been serving him again?"

Anthony shrugged as he continued to walk forward. "I-I don't remember. Probably as long as I've been alive, I guess. Lor—er—Anankos doesn't really give her servants any sort of break, if you know what I mean. Hehe." There was no mirth in that chuckle.

Corrin grimaced again. "Ooh, I guess that was a pretty bad way to start off a conversation, huh?" he said.

Anthony shrugged but said nothing. Corrin gazed down at the ground as he walked. He looked up and allowed his gaze to wander over the heads of the people he included in his elite strike force. Besides himself and Azura, the group was nearly forty strong. All were part of his elite guard.

Corrin, Ryoma, Xander, Leo, and Laslow's, Selena's, and Owain's "acquaintance," a man who calls himself "Robin," agreed upon carrying out a very specific attack on Castle Gyges and Anankos. While Robin led the majority of the army, a force numbering in the thousands and consisted of soldiers from both Hoshido and Nohr, as well as a few mercenaries and rogues from other countries, Corrin would lead his elite guard into a back entrance used by Anthony to escape. However, the only caveat was that the plan required Corrin's elite guard to get up at the crack of dawn, something nobody, not even Gunter, was happy doing. Nonetheless, they needed to depart early in order for them to arrive and open the main gates to the main entrance before the rest of the main army arrived at Castle Gyges. Now, the group was navigating their way across a series of floating isles to search for a "bridge" that Anthony crossed in order to escape.

Corrin yawned and looked up at the sky, hoping to figure out an approximation of the time by using the sun's position in the sky, only for him to remember that there was no "sun" in Valla.

"Oh!" Corrin suddenly snapped his fingers as he thought of a way to continue his conversation with Anthony. Anthony flinched at the sudden sound.

"W-what?" Anthony asked, looking up at him.

"Instead of constantly talking to you about your time serving under Anankos, how about you tell me somethings about yourself?" Corrin suggested brightly.

Anthony grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, alright, I guess. Anything to distract me from the fact that I'm leading you guys back to the same place I tried so hard to escape from. What would you like to know?"

Corrin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You know, I've never figured out how old you actually were. I mean, no offense, but you looked like you're probably eight or nine. Yet your…vocabulary is remarkably advanced for your age. Do you read a lot?"

Anthony nodded. "Yeah. Anankos didn't give me a lot of time to rest, but what few moments of time I had to myself, I would be in the royal library, reading over books and whatnot."

At the mention of Gyges' royal library, Azura gasped and cast an interested glance towards Anthony. "You…say you spent a lot of time in Castle Gyges' royal library?" Azura asked quietly.

Anthony nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

Azura looked away. "Oh, nothing. It's just that I never realized Anankos would keep something so…I don't know…useless to him."

Corrin adjusted his cape. "Maybe it has something…no, never mind."

Azura looked at him. "What? What does it have to with what?"

Corrin shook his head. "Nothing. Forget I ever said anything." He turned back towards Anthony. "You never really answered my question though: how old are you?"

Anthony gave a noncommittal shrug. "I mean, we don't really celebrate anything. I think I'm like eight? Maybe nine? I don't know. All I can tell you is that I always eat the same dish as celebration on my 'birthday.'"

Corrin raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" he said, interested. "What dish?"

Anthony rubbed his stomach. "Oh, uh, I don't really know how to describe it. It was sort of a bunch of meat cut up and put into like this brown soup thing—"

"You mean stewed beef?" Corrin asked.

Anthony nodded. "Yeah! That's what its called. Anyways, my friend, Ven, would always make it and give it to me whenever it was my birthday. I mean, it wasn't much, barely half a cup's worth, but it was still nice."

"Sounds like a nice friend," Corrin said softly.

Anthony nodded silently. "She was."

Corrin frowned. "Wait, 'she was?' What happened?" he said.

Anthony hunched his shoulders. Corrin grimaced and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to—"

"It's fine," Anthony said. "I- It's just that when I tried to escape, I wanted her to come with me…"

"And?" Corrin asked gently.

"She didn't want to," Anthony said flatly. "No matter what I tried to do or say, she just wouldn't…leave Anankos' service."

Corrin grimaced again. No matter what he seemed to talk about, Anankos always came up, didn't it? Corrin squeezed Anthony's shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't worry," he said. "Once this is all over, I promise you won't have to live under Anankos' shadow ever again."

Anthony nodded his head, but did not respond. Corrin's ears twitched as he heard someone call his name. He turned his head to see Ryoma discreetly beckoning over.

Corrin glanced at Anthony before walking away and falling into his older brother's strides. "Yes?" Corrin asked.

Ryoma glanced around them before leaning in and whispering, "Do you remember what I said to you? After Scarlet's funeral?"

Corrin frowned. "Yes. Why?" he said in an equally low whisper.

Ryoma gave a suspicious glance towards Anthony. "Because I still think there's a spy among us, and I think Anthony might be one of them."

Corrin raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

Ryoma shook his head. "I don't know. It's just…something about him. The way he's acting so calmly about marching back to a prison he just escape from. It doesn't feel right following him."

Corrin rubbed his chin. "I mean, I guess it makes sense. But everything he's told me about his past life makes it clear that he's not really doing this for himself. He _doesn't_ want to go back, but there's someone he left behind."

Ryoma opened his mouth to reply, but Corrin cut him off by hastily adding, "I'll keep my eyes peeled on him though, don't worry."

Ryoma nodded and straightened back up to his full height. For a split second, Corrin felt irritated that despite him keeping his back as straight as he could, he could barely manage to top Ryoma's shoulders.

In front of them, Takumi suddenly cursed and flailed his arms. "W-whoa there! What the fu—?"

"Takumi!" Sakura cried.

Leo reached out and managed to grab the back of Takumi's armor before its wearer managed to plunge off the cliff. With a mighty groan, Leo managed to pull Takumi back from the edge of the precipice.

Takumi collapsed onto his arms and knees and stared unseeingly at the ground beneath him as Hinoka dismounted her pegasus and ran over to him, asking him if he was alright.

Corrin turned towards Anthony. "What in the actual hell was that?" he asked.

Anthony shrugged his shoulders, his eyes wide. "I-I d-don't know! T-this was the place I went through when I tried to escape! This is all new to me!"

Anthony wrapped his hands around his head as he suddenly doubled over, hyperventilating. Corrin dropped to one knee.

"Hey," he said soothingly, clasping a hand on Anthony's shoulder. "This isn't your fault, alright? We just want to know…is there anything different that you can see when you escaped?"

Anthony reluctantly met his eyes. "I-I don't know. All I remember about running away from milor—er—Anankos was that I had to pass through an area with a lot of floating islands."

Corrin glanced up around him. There were floating islands everywhere. Elise trotted over and looked down at Anthony.

"Now listen here, son!" she started. "We both know that that sort of answer won't cut it, so—"

Corrin hissed at her and waved a hand frantically towards her. " _What are you doing?_ " he asked discreetly. " _We're trying to get him to calm down, not give him an anxiety attack!"_

Elise frowned and crossed her arms as her pony dutifully trotted away towards Camilla and Xander. Corrin looked back at Anthony, whose breathing was starting slow down.

"Alright Anthony, _calm down_ , alright? We're all friends here. We won't hurt you," he said reassuringly.

Anthony looked up at him with large brown eyes. "Really?" he asked softly.

Corrin nodded. "Yeah!" he said. "All we're asking of you right now is 'what do you remember about this place when you passed through it besides floating islands?'"

Anthony stared intensely at the ground in concentration. "Well, uh…" he stammered. "I remember there being a really long, really old wooden bridge," he said. "But you probably already knew that."

"What type of bridge?" Corrin asked, resisting the urge to shake his shoulders.

The words had barely left his mouth before Odin shouted frantically. "Hark! Over here! Here, hidden within the mists of the lost, within the fog of the dead, the—"

Corrin stood up and walked over to where Odin was pointing, his eyes wide in incredulously. There, partially hidden by the gray fog rising up from underneath the cliff, was a wooden rope bridge.

Azura quietly walked up besides Corrin. "It…just appeared out of nowhere…" she murmured. "It's like…the fog…created it."

Corrin nodded. "Yeah…there's something about this fog. It's…too different. It's like its creating a wall, see?" Corrin pointed at the fog, which, sure enough, had gathered up so that it was thickest at the middle of the rope bridge and extended out in both directions.

Azura nodded his head her agreement. Meanwhile, Anthony jumped and pointed excitedly towards the bridge. "There! There! That's the bridge I used to cross over to escape Anankos!"

Camilla dismounted her wyvern and gingerly placed a foot on the first step, withdrawing it once she felt the wood creak underneath her weight. She looked back at Corrin uncertainly. "I don't know, my dear. This bridge looks awfully old."

Sakura peeked out from behind one of Hinoka's pegasus' wings. "This bridge does look pretty old…You don't think that it'll…"

Anthony shook his head. "No, this is the bridge I used, I'm sure of it! We'll be alright, I promise!"

Leo shook his head. "No…we can't risk it. Better use the pegasi and wyverns to ferry everyone over, one at a time."

"But that'll take too long," Hinoka said. "Just put all the healers and heavier people on the fliers, and the rest of you guys cross over using this bridge!"

Leo opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, Corrin's ears twitched. Without hesitation, he tore Yato from its sheath and swung it in a wide arc in front of Leo. Leo barely had time to yelp and back up before he felt the splintered shaft of an arrow bounce off his armor.

"Wow…"he finally said. "That was…impressive. Well done, Corrin."

Corrin did not respond but instead leveled Yato towards the forest behind them as a group of shadows shambled out from behind the trees and solidified into Vallites and a group of Faceless. Anthony yelped and sprinted onto the bridge, his arms outstretched to keep balance as he ran across.

"Hey! What? Get back here!" Takumi called. "You don't know if it's safe on the other side or not!"

"It's no use," Xander growled as he batted at an approaching Vallite, who jumped back and shook its lance threateningly towards the Nohrian prince. "A coward only shows spine whenever they're in danger."

Corrin waved his hands in the air to get everybody's attention. "Everyone! Cross the bridge! Now!"

Ryoma turned to look at Corrin in confusion. "What? But how will—"

Corrin jumped back and parried a blade as he swung his sword in a wide arc in front of him. "Don't worry about it! Just do it!"

Without question, everyone sprinted onto and across the bridge in a mad dash. Corrin hesitated for a moment, as he watched the wood bend and creak under their feet. Camilla and Beruka both had their wyverns wrap their talons around the bellies of Elise's, Silas', Xander's horses, who tossed their head and screamed, a terrible sound, that reminded Corrin of metal ripping in half.

An arrow streaked past his face, bringing his attention back to the fight.

"Corrin!" Leo yelled. "We can't cross the bridge without them overtaking us. What do we do?"

Corrin glanced at him briefly. "We stay and fight. We need to buy enough time for everyone to get across," he said.

Ryoma yelled as he brought Rajinto down in a might blow that cleaved a Faceless' mask and hands cleanly in half. The beast roared and stumbled backwards into more of its brethren, creating a cacophony of screeches and roars as the beats fought among themselves for a few minutes. Any Vallites near them quickly withdrew or got crushed.

Ryoma wiped sweat off his brow as he turned towards Corrin. "What about us? If we cross one-by-one, whoever is left behind will surely be overwhelmed."

"Not if they can turn into a dragon," Corrin replied. "Trust me. So long as I have someone covering my back, I can hold this side of the bridge down."

Ryoma paused for a second before nodding. "Then we'll buy you all the time you need," Takumi said.

Corrin nodded in appreciation, grateful for his siblings, and rushed forward, Yato raised.

Everybody gave a warcry and rushed forward behind Corrin. The enemy hesitated for a second, flummoxed that such a small number of opponents would dare rush an enemy who outnumbered them twelve-to-one. What they didn't expect was an eerie, female voice drifting high above the sounds of the fighting. Corrin wrenched Yato out of a Vallite berserker's chest and looked around in confusion for the source of the singing. There, surrounded in the middle of Vallites and Faceless alike, Azura sang as she slowly but purposely shuffled forward. The enemies surrounding her pulsed and shuddered, as if overcome with some sort of spell, before rushing towards her.

Corrin raised his hand and reached out to her. "Azur—!"

Before he could finish calling her name or run towards her, all of the Vallites charging her stiffened and collapsed face-first, their bodies dissipating into water droplets and smoke as their weapons clattered to the ground. Corrin looked at her awe, noticing only later that any enemies that did not collapse and dissipate into smoke stood as still as a statue, as if transfixed by some sort of spell.

"Azura? How did—?" Corrin asked before she suddenly swayed and collapsed.

He reached towards her. _"Leo!_ " he screamed.

Leo glanced towards him, followed his gaze to the downed songstress, and immediately understood. He opened Brynhildr and cast a spell, his voice impossibly low as he uttered words too deep and complex for Corrin to understand.

Without warning, a thick wall of green tree roots burst out of the ground, creating a temporary wall surrounding their end of the bridge, creating a temporary safe haven. Corrin ran over to her and cradled her in his arms.

To his everlasting relief, Azura's eyes weakly fluttered open and she raised her hand weakly to stroke Corrin's face.

"C-Corrin? What happe—"

Corrin gently placed a finger over her lips. "Sh…" he said. "Don't worry about it right now. Just…don't fight against this, alright?"

Corrin looked over his shoulder and called Xander. The Nohrian prince expertly dispatched the myrmidon he was fighting and knelt down besides the half-dragon.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

In curt, short words, Corrin explained what happened. "I want you to carry Azura on your shoulders and run over to the other side," he ordered.

"But—"

"Just do it! Ryoma! Leo! Go with him! Keep them safe!"

Ryoma and Leo both nodded as Xander shook his head. "But what about you? I won't leave you to die here alone!" Xander said.

"That's because he's _not_ alone," Takumi said. "Go. Get her across. Corrin, I'll hang back and provide you with long range support from here."

Corrin nodded. "Alright, everybody! You know what you have to do! Go!"

Leo nodded and gingerly placed a hand on Ryoma's forearm as he closed his eyes in concentration. His lips moved to cast some spell and a green rune appeared below Leo's, and Ryoma's feet as they suddenly shot upward, a green smoke trailing behind them as they floated across to the other side. Corrin was able to barely make out the figures of Hinoka and Camilla with their arms outstretched as they caught the two men.

"Corrin!"

Corrin flinched and looked back at Xander, who was looking down at the bridge between his feet with concern. "Are you sure about this? I'm not exactly confident about—"

Corrin shrugged. "No, I'm not sure, but look at the rest of us! They managed to get across. I'm sure one man carrying a woman will manage!"

Xander nodded once and turned and ran across the bridge. Takumi drew Fujin Yumi and aimed it towards the tree-root-wall as he slowly inched backwards.

"As soon as I give the signal, and as soon as Xander's on the other side, retreat over the bridge and run as fast as you can to the other side."

"What about you?"

Corrin flashed Takumi a snarky grin. "Well, I _am_ half-dragon, after all. Just make sure that as you run, you keep shooting arrows back, to prevent them fr—"

"I know why you want me to shoot arrows back, alright? Just make sure you give that signal quickly. We won't last long against a force of that size," he said as he looked with concern at the root wall in front of them, which was starting to crack and splinter in several places.

Corrin nodded and shifted his gaze back on the root wall as it split in half. He sidestepped to the right to dodge an incoming arrow and brought down in a strong overarching swing with Yato from his head to the ground.

" _Now!_ " he shouted, looking back at Takumi.

Without hesitation, Takumi released a single arrow before turning around and sprinting as fast as he could across the bridge, shooting arrows over his shoulder as he ran. Corrin parried and backflipped, willing his body to transform partially.

Corrin felt his head grow heavy as his head was replaced by its draconic part, and a set of antler-like horns entered the top of his vision. Corrin landed on his feet and stumbled backwards as he tried to keep his balance as a pair of silver wings sprouted from his back as he sheathed Yato. Grunting with effort, Corrin unfurled his wings and mightily beat it in the direction of the enemy. The Faceless continued on unfazed, but were slowed down by the Vallites in front of them, who raised their shields and weapons as if attempting to block the wind. Corrin drew his wings back and flapped them forward again. On the fourth beat of his wings, the Vallites closest to Corrin stabbed their weapons into the ground in an attempt to prevent themselves from being flung away.

After a few more flaps, Corrin angled his wings downward and allowed himself to be carried away. The Faceless roared and shook their fists at him as some tried to pick up and hurl boulders at him through the sky. Some of the Faceless even picked up a nearby Vallite and hurled them into the air. Corrin spun and twirled in the air as a line of archers released a volley of arrows towards him. Corrin curled into a ball and allowed his wings to close around him as he felt the _pings_ of the arrowheads bouncing off his wings.

Opening back up again, he managed to spread his wings just in time to slow himself before crashing on the other side. He broke his fall into a roll and landed on his feet. Almost immediately, Corrin retracted his wings and tail as he ran over to where Xander was gently setting Azura down against the remnants of a destroyed wall.

"Are you alright?" Corrin asked.

Azura nodded. "Yeah," she said weakly as she allowed Corrin to wrap his hand around hers and pull her to her feet. She leaned on him for a few moments while she tried to regain her balance.

"What you did back there? That was just about one of the most amazing things I've seen before in my life," Corrin said. "Though I would prefer you didn't do that again. Please?"

Azura gave a small giggle. "Yes well, I wasn't planning on fainting again during the middle of a fight," she said.

Anthony suddenly jumped up and down and pointed excitedly towards the bridge. "I see him! He's coming!" he shouted, waving Corrin and Azura over.

They glanced at each other before they stumbled together to the bridge. Sure enough, Takumi was running towards them, Fujin Yumi shouldered as he waved his arms in the air.

"Hey! Everybody! I'm still alive!" he called. "Wait for me! I'm stil—"

Takumi's voice died as the wooden plank he stepped on suddenly crumbled and shattered beneath his foot. Takumi stumbled and dropped to his knees, grabbing the rope handrail to steady himself. As he did so, the rope suddenly loosened itself around the wooden post.

" _Run!_ " Corrin shouted.

Takumi looked up in confusion and his eyes widened as he saw Corrin pointing to the wooden post. He tried to take a step forward, but was forced to stumble backwards as the entirety of the bridge suddenly shook, as if a great weight had dropped on the other side of the bridge.

Time slowed down for Corrin. Takumi barely had enough time to tense his legs and jump for all he was worth before the rope finally snapped, sending half of the bridge falling as a lopsided angle. At the same time, a great roar echoed from the other side of the fog. Leo desperately called Takumi's name and waved his hand in his direction as he fell.

Corrin watched Takumi soar through the air for a series of heartbeats. He could see Takumi's pupils, dilated with fear, as he flailed his arms towards Leo. Takumi's fingers somehow managed to wrap themselves around Leo's wrist, even as Leo wrapped his fingers around Takumi's wrist.

Time sped back up for Corrin as sound returned to his list of senses. Takumi grunted in pain as his body slammed into the cliff wall. Everyone released the pent-up breath they had been holding as Leo gritted his teeth.

"That's…twice now," he managed to grunt as he pulled Takumi over the edge.

Anthony stood back his hands over his eyes, watching the whole scene by peeking between his fingers. "Wow…that would've been a long drop," he said quietly to himself, though Corrin heard him clear as day with his sharper hearing.

Takumi was too shaken to even come up with a pithy reply as he pulled himself over the ledge and stared up at the sky, his chest heaving. Sakura was immediately by his side, frantically undoing his armor straps as she lifted up his breastplate to reveal a series of splotches that were already beginning to turn purple.

"Ooh," Elise said under her breath. "That does _not_ look…not-painful."

Takumi tried to sit up but Ryoma sauntered over and pushed his little brother down on his back. "Stay down," Ryoma said. "You're hurt."

Takumi struggled to look down at his chest without actually moving his head. "Well, yeah, I knew that, but I was wondering how bad the wound was," he said before breaking into a coughing fit.

Sakura anxiously waved her healing staff over his chest. "W-well, you see…nothing seems to be broken, but you're going to h-have some bruises for the next couple days."

Takumi let his head fall back in relief. "That's it? Just a couple bruises?"

Sakura nodded silently.

"Then why didn't you let me sit up? The way you made me lie down sounded like I just gotten stabbed through the chest with a rock or something!" Despite his harsh tone, Corrin could tell by how his head fell back onto the ground that he was relieved.

Corrin patted Takumi on the shoulder and stood back up as he walked over to Anthony, who was sitting dejectedly on a nearby stump. Corrin took a moment to address everyone behind him as he said, "Alright! I guess…this is a pretty good place to stop and take a break? Everyone, take this time to check your gear, relieve yourself, whatever. As soon as Sakura and Elise are done with Takumi, we'll march on."

Corrin sat down next to Anthony on a tree stump. "So, what do you remember about this? Does any of the surrounding area look familiar?"

Anthony shrugged. "I guess, sort of. I mean, things were a lot different back then."

Corrin wrapped a hand around Anthony's shoulder reassuringly. "Well, do you know how close we are to Castle Gyges, at least?"

Anthony nodded animatedly. "Yeah! But not only that, but we're also really close to that secret back entrance I was telling you about!"

Corrin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Nice. Is there anything we need to know about this 'secret entrance?' Like, where would it leave us in the castle after popping out, or—"

"Oh yeah!" Anthony interrupted. "Yeah, I don't know the word for it, but it leads into like this big room with a chair and a bunch of columns and…and…"

"Do you mean a throne room"" Corrin asked.

Anthony nodded again. "Yeah. That's what it was called. Anyways, if you want, I can show you where it is!"

Corrin opened his mouth to reply, but Xander cut him off.

"Hold on a moment!" Xander growled. "You there!" He leveled Siegfried towards Anthony, who flinched and fearfully gripped the edge of Corrin's cape.

"We're not following you _anywhere_ ," Xander growled dangerously. "Falling for one of your traps once was more than enough."

Corrin looked at Xander. "What…are you talking about?" he asked.

Xander ignored him and shuffled around Corrin to get a better angle on Anthony. Anthony swallowed and clenched Corrin's cape even tighter with his fingers.

"You! It was you who made that bridge collapse, wasn't it? I saw you! You were closest to the bridge when the rope snapped!" Xander yelled.

Corrin jumped to his feet and raised his hands placatingly. "Xander, think about—"

"You ran and abandoned us as soon as you saw the first sign of danger!" Xander continued. "You're probably a spy for one of those Vallite forces! I'll cut you down where you stand!"

Xander raised Siegfried threateningly and slowly stalked over to Anthony. Anthony screamed and hid behind Corrin, wrapping his hands around Corrin's waist as he sobbed.

"Don't let him kill, please!" he begged. "I'm sorry I ran! I'm really sorry! Please, forgive me! Have mercy!"

Xander swung his sword at Anthony. Corrin pushed Anthony behind him and parried the blow.

"Xander! Stop!" Corrin said desperately as he simultaneously tried to pry Anthony off his legs and keep an eye on his older brother. "Think about what you're accusing him of!"

"Stand aside, Corrin. Why are you protecting him? Don't you see that he's the enemy?"

Corrin snapped. Using his free hand, he transformed it into a gaping dragon's maw which spat out boiling hot water out towards Xander. Xander raised Siegfried to block the water before screaming and dropping the weapon, clutching at his burned hands.

Corrin's eyes widened as he rush over to Xander. "Oh my gods! Xander! Are you alright? I'm so sorry—"

Xander interrupted him with a wave of his hand and looked up at him. "No need to apologize. I understand that you're doing what you think is right: protecting the young and the weak. But tell me this, why are you protecting… _him?_ "

Xander pointed at Anthony who was now hiding behind the tree stump, looking at the two men in fear. Corrin turned back towards Xander.

"Xander…" he said gently. "Think about what you're accusing him of! He's a child! A mere _child!_ Do you honestly expect a child to stand their ground when surrounded by a bunch of monsters and corpses who've been reanimated by a king he tried so hard to escape from? Think about what you're accusing him of!"

"I—"

"That bridge was old and worn!" Corrin continued. "It's hardly surprising that it collapsed under Takumi's weight of all people when he was _running_ across it."

Takumi frowned. "Hey! What're you saying-"

Camilla tutted and dismounted her wyvern. "I don't know…" she said slowly. "Considering how the bridge managed to hold _all_ of our weight beforehand, only for it to collapse when Prince Takumi was crossing it…I agree with Xander on saying how that boy seems rather suspicious. He might've joined our ranks intending to mislead us."

Corrin looked at her incredulously. "Camilla! You can't just—"

Leo cleared his throat. "Seconded. From what you and Azura have told me about Anankos, while he may be insane, he is certainly not a fool when it comes to strategy. Sending out and planting a spy among his enemy's ranks is a surefire way to do some damage to us before we finally meet him. Corrin, you should listen and trust Xander's judgement on this."

Corrin turned towards Leo. "Leo! You too? Listen, you can't just—"

Corrin stopped and took a moment to collect himself before replying calmly, "No." He looked at each of them individually.

"I won't start doubting potential allies just because something might be possible! I agree, Anthony may have been closest to the bridge when it collapsed, but that does not necessarily mean that he was the one responsible for doing so!"

Xander sighed and bowed down to pick up Siegfried as he looked at Corrin with something that looked like admiration. "You're still just as naïve as ever," he said, shaking his head. He let a small smile crack through his stern façade.

"That being said, however, your ability to believe in people, no matter what happened, is the real reason how you made this army possible."

Corrin raised an eyebrow and looked at him quizzedly. "You…really think so?" he said hesitantly.

Leo nodded. "Of course! Nobody besides you could've united Prince Ryoma and Xander together like you did. Hoshido and Nohr are both too suspicious of each other for us to trust each other. _You_ are the one who unites us. You are the crux of fate that binds all of our destinies together."

Xander nodded approvingly. "Well said, Leo. That being said, however, your tendency to just _believe_ people is also one of your biggest flaws. Let your diligence and awareness falter for a moment, and someone may take advantage of you, or even more likely, wake one night with your throat slipped open."

Corrin swallowed. "O-of course. I understand."

Xander, Leo, and Camilla nodded gravely and walked away. Corrin sighed turned back to the elite guard, most of whom was watching the five of them silently. As soon as Corrin turned to look at them, they all averted their gazes.

Corrin shook his head and looked around at the ruins around them. "Use this time wisely," he said. "We leave in fifteen minutes."

* * *

"Uh…Corrin?"

Corrin looked up from the sandwich he was eating. "Yes?"

Anthony shifted uneasily. "Do…you think I could talk to you for a moment?"

Corrin held up a finger and swallowed "Of course. What's wrong?"

Anthony gripped his hands in front of body and looked at Corrin hesitantly. "Well, after what happened at that bridge, it feels like nobody trusts me anymore. I'm scared that when we reach the back entrance, they might not follow me."

Corrin nodded. "Well, you can't blame them," he said without thinking. Anthony bit his lip and looked away, his face crestfallen. Corrin cringed.

"Of course, there's some of us here who still trust you," he added hastily.

Anthony shrugged. "Yeah, I know. But that's why I came up with a plan to help you guys infiltrate Castle Gyges!"

Corrin raised his eyebrows and set aside his meal. "Oh really? Well then, let's hear it!"

Anthony leaned in closer to Corrin. "Okay, so my plan was that I sneak in by ourselves and open the main gates. _By myself._ "

Corrin looked at him skeptically. "You _do_ know the castle is probably filled with thousands of troops, right? I'm sorry Anthony, but I can't allow you to follow through on this. It's too dangerous."

"I know it's dangerous," Anthony said, "But I'm afraid that this is the only way to get your friends to trust me! I'm worried that if we're attacked for some reason on the way in, I'm worried that _I'll_ be blamed for it!"

Corrin grudgingly shook his head. "Yes, true, true," he said. "But it's still too dangerous. I'm sorry Anthony. I can't allow you to do this alone..."

Anthony looked crestfallen. "Well, at least—"

"…which is why I'm coming with you," Corrin finished.

Anthony looked at him in surprise. "W-wait, really? You'd still come with me? Even if your friends don't—I-I mean, that's great! Let's go right now!"

Corrin chuckled as he set his meal back inside of his knapsack. "Of course. Just give me a few minutes to prepare everything. Meet me by the column next to the stump."


	20. Chapter 20

Azura gently ran her fingers over a deep gash in a tree. Azura closed her eyes as she tried to remember what happened here. It wasn't difficult to forget.

The screams of the soldiers dying in droves as they tried to buy Azura and her mother enough time to escape. The roar of Anankos echoing throughout the entire valley as he reared his terrible head back in his triumph. The panting of her mother's breath as she carried Azura past this very tree. Her screaming as she ducked a split second before a wyvern's talon smashed through the trees, cutting through both men and trees like paper. Azura stood back up and continued deeper into the forest. Part of her knew that it was foolish to venture so deep into these woods by herself. The other part…well, the other part of her just wanted to see the lake.

 _The lake…_

Azura gave a small, barely perceivable smile as she thought back to all the happy memories at the lake. Her father laughing as he dived into the clear waters. Azura closing her eyes tightly as she hung on to him. Her mother shrieking and scolding him for such reckless behavior, though the twinkle in her eyes gave it all away. Azura carefully stepped over a broken tree and pushed aside a series of bushes to find herself standing at the edge of a massive crater, thirty feet deep, and thrice the length. At first, Azura stared at the depression, flummoxed. She could have sworn that the lake had been here.

The answer came to her almost immediately. Anankos must have torn up and destroyed this section of the forest in his rage once he learned of Azura's and her mother's escape from Valla. That would almost certainly explain the destroyed trees and dried up lakebed. She walked around the edge of the lake and onto the pier, a rotten, wooden platform which jutted out eight, maybe ten feet out into open air. Azura leaned her naginta against a nearby tree and walked onto the pier, her feet wide apart to minimize the risk of the planks breaking underneath her.

Azura sat down at the edge of the pier, her legs swinging freely in the air. Azura longingly looked down in the hollow, hoping that by staring down at the cracked dirt, that the crater would somehow fill up with clear, sparking water once again. But it didn't. The lake will never have water in it again, and it will never allow Azura to create new memories for her to cherish.

She felt a great sadness welling up inside of her as she wiped away a tear. Yet another item on the list of losses She found herself keeping since her mother's death.

A twig snapped behind her. Azura instantly jumped to her feet and spun around, her hand flying down to her hips to grab the small dagger Corrin convinced her to put there. Azura was half-expectedly hoping to see Corrin burst out of the brush, cursing and stumbling as he tripped.

But it wasn't Corrin. Azura watched warily as a shadowy figure materialized over a small puddle of water and drifted onto the pier. Azura carefully edged around the figure and off the pier in order to grab her naginta, so that she could better defend herself.

Before she could reach it, however, the shadowy figure suddenly pulsed, expanded outward, and dissipated to reveal a man standing in its place. Azura gasped as the man turned around towards her.

The way how the boots and cuirass were spit-shined to near perfection. The messy, sandy red hair, sticking out beneath the sides of her helmet. The national emblem of Valla carved into the right shoulderpiece, the royal family crest on the left vambrace; the figure that stood before her could be no other than—

"Darius," Azura said curtly.

But it wasn't Darius. It could have never been him.

The _real_ Darius would have had green eyes, the color of an emerald or a leaf in summer, full of grandfather-like mischief. _This_ Darius' eyes were red and black: the eyes of Anankos.

"What message does your 'lord and king' have for me?" Azura asked coldly as she continued to inch backwards towards her naginta.

Darius planted his hands on his hips, threw back his head, and laughed. For a split second, Azura felt the childish urge to plop herself back on Darius' lap and ask him to tell her a story.

Darius was once part of Valla's royal guard, a group full of mages and soldiers alike who were chosen for this position not by the skill of the blade or arts alone, but also by their loyalty to the throne and whoever sits upon it. Most of the men were harsh, cold, and unyielding, since their position as the monarch's own private forces expected as much. Darius was much, much different. Unlike his fellow soldiers, Darius was an easy-going man, who enjoyed getting to know each and everyone of his superiors and subordinates. Despite being nearly ten years younger than Azura's father, Theophilus, the two of them were the best of friends.

But Darius was much more than that, however. He wasn't just a soldier devoted to protecting the throne and whoever sat upon it. He wasn't just a good friend of Theophilus. He wasn't just Azura's bodyguard and butler.

He was like an uncle to Azura. He was the one who retreated into his quarters after learning of Theophilus' death at the hands of Anankos and emerged cold, hard, and unforgiving, much like the rest of his fellow soldiers, yet he always somehow managed to spare her one of his smiles whenever Azura ran up to him to say hi. He was the one who taught Azura how to properly swim, and the one who pushed Azura and her mother to safety as he stayed behind with his men to fight off Anankos' puppets.

Azura did not see him die, but she heard him: a terrible, raw sound that terrified Azura almost as much as hearing Corrin making that same noise.

"Ah, lady Azura. It's good to see you too," Darius said, smiling. "You've grown since the last time I've seen you. And not just age-wise either. I'm sure your parents would've been very happy to see you, and I'm sure they're both very proud of you."

Azura's eyes narrowed. "So where are they now? Shouldn't three puppets have an easier time to kill me off?" she said.

Darius crossed his arms and shook his head, a smirk on his face, but made no movement to threaten or attack Azura. "Just like your father, milady. Always focused so much on the task at hand that everything, including your own health, could become secondary," he chuckled.

"Can't you see that it is _you_ who is being difficult here and acting like a child. I mean, running away from your fate to serve under Anankos, begging your so-called 'friends' to help you. Don't you know that the only reason why anyone even bothers following you is because, privately, all of them wish to see you fail? _Again?_ Doesn't it sound nice for you to return home to your parents? To be by my side once again? I know how much you used to enjoy those stories I told you by the fireplace. Perhaps we could do that again? Maybe this time, instead of me that's telling the story, maybe you could tell me how you've been doing? Tell me how Nohr and Hoshido have been doing. It's been a long time since I saw the sun. Is it still as round and bright as your face whenever I tell you the story of—"

Azura's eyes narrowed even further as a single tear rolled down her face. "What do you want?" she interrupted

Darius' scowled in irritation at being interrupted before his trademark grin returned to his face. "Oh, nothing," he chuckled. "It's just that Lord Anankos has a message for you."

Azura blinked. "Well?" she asked haughtily. "Are you going to tell me _Darius?_ " She spat his name as if it were some bitter-tasting vegetable.

Darius chuckled again. "I'm sure you know that to our lord, humanity is nothing more than a pest to be wiped out. A new breed of vermin that must be exterminated, lest they threaten everything. A plague that necessitates the killing of a hundred to save a thousand."

"Then why are you here? Has Anankos decided to send you here to demand our unconditional surrender?" Azura asked mockingly.

Darius laughed. "Ha! You wish our lord was that merciful. For too long, milady, you have been a thorn in his side. An itch that he cannot scratch. There will be no painless death for you and your company. Every single one of you _will_ cast down your weapons before our lord and die whenever he commands."

Here, Darius' voice took on a sinister tone as his near-pristine armor started to turn cloudy and rust. Scratches appeared everywhere on his person, and Azura watched in shock as a large crack appeared in the middle of his chestplaye and shot upwards. His sword cracked and shattered into infinitesimal pieces, leaving a jagged piece of metal six inches long.

"But not everything can be lost. Our master knows of the bond between you and that… _half-blood_." Darius rolled his shoulders and let out a very un-humanlike hiss. "He knows of the bond that is shared between the two of you, the…feelings…you have for him. Perhaps our lord would be…willing…to _arrange_ a few things between you… _for a price._ "

Azura's fingers froze above her naginta. "What…sort of price?" she asked cautiously.

There was a sharp _snap_ as Darius' head suddenly jerked violently to the right, Azura staggered backwards in shock.

"Give me your pendant. Lord Anankos promises that no harm will befell the two of you if you give him what he wants. All that he requires is the pendant and the death of that _half-blood's_ army."

Azura's eyes narrowed even further as she closed her hands around her naginta and thrust it towards Darius, whose armor was now aged, decrepit, and rusted. Save for uttering a small grunt and taking a step back to keep balance, Darius did not react. Azura blinked in surprise at the puppet's reaction—or lack of—and tried to pull her naginta out of Darius' sternum.

Before Azura was able to retreat, Darius' head reoriented itself so that it was no longer upside down, and the gashes and wounds on his body faded. His sword, however, remained as broken and shattered as ever

"Az…Azura?" he whispered. Unlike before, his voice was much more human, much more recognizable. Azura blinked in surprise

"D-Darius? Is this actually you? And not some puppet of Anankos?" Azura asked, her voice shaking.

Darius shook his head, as if to clear his head, and spread his arms outwards cockily. "Of course it's me! Who else could I be?" he said. Almost immediately, however, his grin faded. "But…I need to tell you something. Soon, both my body and my soul will fade from this world…and I'll be forever free from Anankos' reign. In these last few moments, he has relinquished control over me, since there is nothing else my service is useful for. I need to—"

Darius suddenly grimaced. He looked at his hand, which was slowly turned clear and translucent—water. Despite the liquid appearance of his hand, he managed to clasp Azura's shoulder tightly.

"I don't have much time. Don't ask me how I know this, but Corrin is in danger! Anankos has sent his servants to assassinate him. You _can't_ let him die. He's the key to all this. That, and his ability to use the Yato and transform it into the—"

Darius grimaced again and pressed his hand to his chest, as if there was some hidden wound there. Azura's eye's widened in surprise as his torso turned clear, revealing the organs and Darius' soul—a red, pulsing light— inside. Azura's naginta fell with a clatter to the ground, the tip wet with water, as Darius stumbled backwards.

"W-wait! What do you mean Corrin's in danger? Darius? Darius!"

She tried reaching forward to catch him, to cradle him in her arms before he completely passed, but her hands passed clean through him, leaving her hands sopping wet. She stared at them in bewilderment.

"Don't…let him…go…" Darius managed to say before falling on his back, his broken sword clattering to the pier. Right before his body touched the floor, he turned completely clear and dissolved into water, seeping in between the rotten floorboards

Azura collapsed to her knees as she stared mutely at Darius' broken sword. Part of her knew that Anankos had sent Darius specifically to unnerve her, to unsettle her. He knew Azura felt…unsettled about seeing those from her past, but on the other hand, if she could talk to Darius in his final moments, and not the puppet version of him, then maybe she could—

Azura put the thought out of her mind. No. Darius had moved on, and so had her mother. It would be better to let the dead rest peacefully.

Azura bowed her head and murmured one last prayer to the shattered sword on the pier before standing back up. Then, feeling very old and tired, she retrieving her naginta, and walking back into the forest towards the group. As she walked through the forest, she thought back to what Darius had tried to warn her about.

Sure, they might be stuck in a kingdom ruled by a dragon that can create servants and assassins out of thin air, but Corrin was surrounded by some of the best warriors in the land, and that wasn't even considering the fact that Corrin was a fearsome warrior himself and had the ability to _turn into a dragon_. No. Something wasn't right here.

Azura knew that Anankos, prior to his madness, possessed great power and the ability to see into the future, or at least predict what was likely to happen. What if, in his madness, Anankos had accidently sent one of his puppets to _warn_ her about the future, instead of assassinating her?

Azura frowned as she ducked beneath a low-hanging branch. No. Anankos hated humans with a passion she had never experienced before. How could he even consider the possibility of helping one? Maybe, in his insanity, he had somehow managed to rekindle his love for humans? But that still didn't answer the question as to how Corrin was in danger.

Again, he was one of the fiercest, yet kindest, people she knew. He could hold his own against overwhelming forces—she had just seen that less than an hour ago, on the bridge— and he was one of the kindest and charismatic people she ever met. Despite that, if he had one major flaw, it would be his inability to ignore those in need of help or kindness.

Azura's eyes widened as she froze in her tracks. " _Anthony_ ," she whispered, her voice.

If Anthony had managed to drag Corrin away from the group, then that would mean—

Azura broke out into a sprint as she dashed between the trees, her long blue hair flying behind her as she dodged and weaved. She burst out of the trees and ran right into Gunter.

Gunter staggered and gripped her forearms with his own, strong hands. "What th—"

Gunter's eyes widened as he realized he was holding onto Azura. "Ah. Excuse me. Where have you been, Azura?"

Azura managed to extricate her hands from his deathgrip and rubbed them reproachingly. "Where is Corrin?" she asked, avoiding the question.

Gunter frowned, the scars on his face deepening. "He went off alone into the forest with Anthony. Are you feeling alri—"

"And you _let him?_ " Azura said, her voice steely cold. "What were you _thinking?! He's our only hope of success and you let him go off into the forest by him—"_

" _Enough!_ "

Azura blinked and but immediately clamped her lips shut, though she still felt hot anger burning inside of her. Rare was the time Gunter raised his voice, but when such a moment occurred, everyone instantly flinched and averted their gazes, looking around them nervously. There was something _sinister_ about his gaze, but Azura couldn't quite put her finger on it. Now, Azura knew why Corrin complained so much about Gunter when they were alone.

"You have to control yourself, Azura," he said sternly. "I know you're worried about him. So am I. So are all of us. He knew this was a trap and he left us a very specific set of instructions. If he doesn't return within a few minutes, then we are to follow the quote-on-quote "breadcrumb" spell he had Leo cast over him just before he left with Anthony."

Gunter raised a finger to cut her off again. "We were just about to send out somebody to try and find you, but it seems the gods themselves have deigned to allow you to find your way back to us by yourself."

Azura felt herself swell up in anger as she pushed herself away from Gunter and turned away so he couldn't see her face. What was it that her mother had told her to do to keep her temper in check? Count to some number silently? Drum out a beat with her fingers against her body? She took several deep breaths to calm herself. Once she felt the anger inside of her fade, she turned back towards Gunter.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

Azura nodded but did not reply. Gunter grimly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. I know you're worried. We were just about to send out a search party to find you so that we could have you along when we followed Corrin's trail."

Gunter looked at her with suspicion. "Are you _sure_ you're alright? You look…shaken. Did you find something?"

"No," she said curtly. Corrin had pulled her aside privately that morning and told her his suspicions about a spy among their midst and asked her to not sneak away like she usually did back in the astral plane.

Azura knew, of course, why he had asked her to do this. If anybody had found out that she had been travelling to some hidden kingdom in secret back in the astral plain, rumors and suspicion would no doubt start to surround her, and she knew firsthand how deadly the consequences could be for ignoring them.

Gunter coughed and cleared his throat. "If you are _done_ staring into empty space, Lady Azura, perhaps we should head off in search of my liege?"

Azura flinched and nodded. "Very well then. We'd best get started. Where did he go?" she said wearily.

* * *

"This…doesn't look like a secret entrance," Corrin said. "I mean, I know I'm not as familiar you are when it comes to navigating Valla, but this doesn't seem to be the most direct route."

Anthony pouted as he crossed his arms. "We have to take this route! This is the only way we can go if we're going to get to the secret entrance without being seen. I mean, I would take you to the most direct route, but that means taking you past a whole bunch of guards and—"

"Alright, alright. I get it. You would've taken me to the secret entrance using the most direct route, but since that path is filled with guards and I'm alone, it'll be a lot easier to take a detour, right?"

Anthony nodded. "Yeah! That's it!"

Corrin squinted up at the sun—until he realized Valla had no sun—and sat down in front of Anthony. "Anyways, this place seems to be a good place to rest. How much further do we have to go?"

Anthony idly scratched the back of his head. "After these ruins, we'll need to go through a forest, and once we're through _that_ forest, we'll—"

"Don't tell me, we'll have to go through _another_ set of ruins?" Corrin interjected as he idly drank from his waterskin.

Anthony looked affronted. "What? No! After the next forest, we should arrive next to a cliffside. At the top of the cliff is where Castle Gyges is."

Corrin looked up worryingly. "Then…how come we can't see it from here? Anankos must've taken the castle as his own once he conquered Valla, and from what Azura told me, he's not exactly the _smallest_ —"

Anthony shrugged. "I don't know. We've always noticed a thick fog surrounding the castle, but I never thought much about it until I actually escaped. My guess is that they were supposed to, I don't know, alert the guards if one of prisoners try to escape?"

Corrin raised an eyebrow. "Then how come the guards weren't alerted when _we_ came in?"

Anthony shrugged again. "I don't know. Maybe Anankos is so lost in his madness that he feels confident that he's able to overwhelm and destroy anyone who enters his realm?" Anthony gave a small twinge.

Corrin looked at him with concern. "Anthony? Are…you alright?"

Anthony hunched his shoulders and shivered, as if he was cold. "Y-yeah," he said. "Just…a little bit cold."

"You're wearing a coat sewn by Flora, one of my maids from the _Ice_ Tribe. If you're cold in _that_ , I think you and I will need to have a little talk on the definition of 'cold.'"

"Anyways," Anthony continued. "Once we're at the cliff, we'll need to find and press this secret button-thing—it's really not that hard to spot, I carved a cross into it as I was escaping— and voila! You're in."

Corrin rubbed his chin. "I see. And there's no caveat for this thing to work? Like you don't need any of my blood? Or the sacrifice of my firstborn child? We just walk up and press a _button_?"

Anthony nodded. "I-I don't know who dug the tunnel in the first place, but—"

Corrin interrupted him with a dismissive wave of his hands. "Yeah, alright. I see, I see."

Anthony looked around and tapped the tip of his boot against the ground sheepishly. "Also, Corrin?"

"Hm?"

Anthony took a deep breath, as if to calm himself. "T-thanks. Thank you for believing me so far. It really means a lot to me to have someone who trusts me no matter what I do."

Corrin stood up and turned around to stretch his legs. "Eh," he said. "Unlike my siblings, I'm quicker to trust people and see the best of everyone. People say that it's a bad thing, but the way I see it, if we all trust each other, it'll make it that much easier for us to pull through."

Anthony nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah…I guess. It's definitely helpful, in certain situations. Truth be told, I think I'd much rather prefer you to be our ruler than Anankos."

Corrin shrugged and he stretched his arms over his head. "In a funny way, I guess that makes it all the more tragic?"

Corrin looked between his legs at Anthony. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Anthony stealthily slid a golden dagger out from beneath his back. "I mean, think about it. You make so many friends, but in the end, everyone dies alone. All those people happy to follow you, yet after today, they'll never be able to again."

"Anthony? What are you—"

Anthony uttered a ferocious screech and slashed at Corrin's back with his golden dagger. Corrin shouted with alarm and arched his back, the golden edge barely missing his bare skin by more than a few centimeters. He staggered back and tore Yato with his sheath.

"Anthony! What are you doing?" Corrin shouted. "Stop this!"

"Don't make this harder than it has to be!" Anthony replied. "Just…die, and all your troubles will be over!"

Anthony pressed towards him, his dagger a blur. Corrin reached out with his hand and struck Anthony across the face. Anthony yelped and staggered back from the force of the blow. Using Yato, Corrin deftly managed to work the tip of the legendary weapon between Anthony's fingers and flicked the weapon from his grasp.

Anthony's eyes widened as he felt the blood spurt from the palm of his hand and he fell backwards. He crawled away desperately and raised a hand to shield himself.

"N-no! Wait! Please! Mercy! I'm sorry for trying to kill you, I really am!" he sobbed.

Corrin twirled Yato and with a single stroke, brought Corrin up the Anthony's chin. Anthony yelped and gulped as he felt Yato's golden point poke his throat.

"Why, Anthony?" Corrin asked. Despite the flat expression on his face, there was a note of sorrow in his voice. "Why would you try to kill me?"

"B-because!" Anthony sobbed. "I hated working or Anankos, so when I told Ven about my plans for escape, she told on me! She ran to the nearest guard and threatened to have me executed! So I ran! Before I was able to cross the bridge though, that mage—the woman— appeared in front of me and cornered me. She forced me to find you and persuade you to come here with me alone so that she could kill you, once and for all!"

"And after that?" Corrin said, his tone growing cold.

Anthony started to cry. "And…and after that…" he said between sobs. "She was going to kill everyone that came with you into Valla! She said…she said something about 'cutting off the head of the snake.' She thought that your friends wouldn't know without you to lead them! I'm sorry!"

Corrin shook his head. "No. Whoever this mage is, she's wrong about us. I think she underestimated my friends, and I think you overestimated your abilities as a spy."

Anthony looked at him, trying not to flex away from the metal poking his neck. "W-what do you mean?" he asked.

"I never trusted you, Anthony. I really wanted to, but times like these, trust can be a hard resource to come by. I made sure, that before I left, that everyone in the group knew exactly where I was. I asked Leo to cast a spell on me that'll leave a series of trails behind me as I go," Corrin explained.

Anthony let his hands fall to his sides. "You…never trusted me?" he whispered.

Corrin sadly shook his head. "Like I said. I really wanted to trust you, but the situation demanded my caution."

Anthony sunk to his knees, defeated. "I'm so sorry," he whispered again. "At first, I didn't really care either way. So long as I lived, I was fine with doing whatever I could to survive, but once I met you, I just _couldn't_ bring myself to kill you. At first, I thought the best way to kill you would be to just run up behind you and stab you, but…"

He shrugged. "I couldn't do it," he repeated. "I _want_ Anankos to be overthrown, but I can't _do_ anything! I'm just another puppet! Another soldier and avatar for him to take control of once I die. I wish…I wish—"

Anthony broke down into another fir of sobs. Corrin knelt down next to him and patted him on the shoulder, though he kept Yato unsheathed.

"I know why you did the things you did, but sometimes, you just have to be willing to stick your neck out for people. I would rather die than to live a life as a slave, wouldn't you?" Corrin asked gently.

Anthony looked up at him, his eyes puffy. "Why? Why would you forgive me? I was sent to _kill_ you! How could you even bear to look at me, much less comfort me? I'm a failure! I'm worthless! I deserve to die! I-I—"

Corrin placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, don't say things like that!" he admonished. "Everyone, man-made or natural, old or young, lame or fit, deserves to live. Even you. You may have made mistakes in the past, and you may have done the wrong things for the right reasons, but the important thing here is that you _know_ why its wrong. Knowing _why_ something wrong is a much more valuable lesson than simply apologizing and fixing it. You're _not_ worthless, and you most _definitely_ don't deserve to die. If it means anything to you, after this is all over, I promise we'll find Ven and talk it through more thoroughly, _together_ , alright? I know you were an assassin sent to kill me, but that doesn't mean I don't think of you as a friend."

Anthony looked up at him. "You mean that?" he said tearfully.

Corrin grinned. "Yeah, I mean it," he said in a tone much more cheerful than he felt. "C'mon. Let's get up on your feet. Let's head back to the group." He stood up and extended a hand towards Anthony.

Anthony stared at Corrin's hand for a moment, before reluctantly accepting it and allowing himself to be pulled to his feet. As Corrin patted him reassuringly on the back, he caught a flicker of movement in the corner of his eye.

"Anthony, run," he said gravely. "We got some old friends here."

Anthony instantly shot upwards and grasped Corrin by the shoulder. "Listen! They're here to kill you, not me! You need to run! Don't worry about me, but you need to—"

Anthony screamed and kicked ferociously as two Vallite berserkers, both as thick as tree trunks and twice as sturdy, suddenly appeared under him and lifted him up by the arms. "No! W-wait! Stop! I-I used to be one of you guys! You can't do this!" he shouted. "C-Corrin! Help!"

Corrin scowled and slashed towards one of the berserkers holding Anthony aloft. With surprising nimbleness, the brute jumped backwards, cleanly avoiding the blow. Corrin prepared to draw Yato back for another attack, but a flash of steel glinting in the corner of his vision caught his eye.

He jumped back, but was too slow. He let out a howl as the blade cut deep into the arm holding Yato. He scowled and transferred Yato to his left hand. He _hated_ fighting with his left hand.

It wasn't that he didn't know how to use Yato properly with his left hand—he was ambidextrous— but it just felt _wrong_ to use his left hand instead of his right. He swung Yato in a wide arc around himself in an attempt to force the encroaching wave of twelve or so shield-and-spear-equipped Vallites back.

They all merely dodged his slow swings and continued to inch forward, prodding their spears and rapiers at him from a distance. Corrin started to feel a bit of panic inside of him as he felt his back press up against a stone wall, blood dripping through from a dozen different wounds.

In the background, Anthony continued to shout and kick uselessly at the brutes holding him hostage. He aimed a kick at one of their groins, but the guard simply caught Anthony's foot, lifted him upside down, and flung him into the ground.

Anthony's eyes widened in terror a split second before all the air in his body left in a bone crushing _whoof_. The guard planted a foot on Anthony's chest as the other guard twirled its axe before raising it in preparation for the death blow.

Corrin roared and gripped Yato with both hands and charged forward, ignoring the blood flooding from his wound. He smashed through the blade of a sword and decapitated its holder before bring Yato in a wide arc in front and behind him.

He let out a satisfied smirk as he heard the sound of two more bodies falling to the floor. The rest of the Vallites, however, wised up and hastily backed away, using their spears to poke away at him and hiding behind their shields whenever Corrin got too close.

Corrin panted for breath as the world began to turn gray around him from blood loss. He spared a glimpse at Anthony, who was still on the ground pleading for his life as the brute ground his feet into Anthony's chest, causing him to cry out in pain.

Corrin made a desperate attempt to barge through the wall of shields surrounding him but was repulsed when a shield smashed into his chest, knocking out all the air in his body. Corrin raised an arm to shield himself from the deathblow that was surely coming, but a single green arrow suddenly streaked through the air and buried itself within the head of a the Vallite planted its boot on Anthony, tearing its helmeted head clean off its neck and burying itself within a tree.

Both Corrin and the Vallites froze and watched as the guard staggered backwards and blindly reaching up to the stump of its neck in surprise before collapsing to the ground and dissipating. Corrin took advantage of the distraction scrambled to his feet.

Before he could charge forward again, all of the Vallites suddenly dropped their weapons as they were wrenched into the air by some tree roots that had suddenly sprung out of the ground. The roots thrashed the Vallites around, bashing them together before all of the unfortunate soldiers all simultaneously went limp and dissolved into water, showering Corrin and Anthony with raindrops. Corrin shielded his eyes with his hand as he looked up towards his potential-saviors.

"Corrin, you should know by now that we'll never let you wander off by yourself, right?" Takumi said as he nimbly swung himself down from the branches of a nearby tree, from where he had perched.

Corrin stared at him blankly. "So…w-wait—the spell actually worked like it was supposed to?" he asked dumbly.

Corrin heard a scoff behind him and he turned to see Leo trotting silently out from behind a couple of trees. "Of course it worked!" Leo said jubilantly. "Though I suppose now isn't exactly the best time for an 'I told you so' moment."

"Leo! You too?" Corrin exclaimed.

Leo gave him a rare smile and nodded as he turned his attention on a number of Vallites that had risen up in place of their fallen comrades. Behind Leo, Xander and Ryoma, along with the rest of Corrin's elite guard, shouting warcries and eviscerating any Vallites within their reach. Meanwhile, Azura and Gunter beelined straight towards Corrin, who shakily got to his feet.

"Well done," the old knight said as he placed a hand on Corrin's shoulder to steady him. "Rare is the warrior who is able to fall into a trap and escape unscathed. Relatively. Though we must discuss your…worrisome 'habits' later."

Corrin let out a small groan. No doubt, Gunter would find time somehow after all of this is over to sit Corrin down and berate him for doing something so reckless.

Meanwhile, Corrin let out a small grunt of discomfort as Azura hugged him harder than she ever had before. "Oh, thank goodness you're safe," she said.

Corrin hesitated for a second before returning the gesture. "You're not…mad at me? Or worried?" he asked.

Azura looked at him and frowned. "Admittedly, I was pretty worried and angry that you sneaked off by yourself, but I mean, you're not hurt, are you?"

Corrin shook his head. "Then I don't have any reason to be angry towards you," Azura finished. Corrin cracked a small smile, grateful for Azura's stoicism.

"That being said," Azura said. "I would _like_ it _very much_ if you told me what you were planning to do _before_ you actually ran off to do it."

Corrin grinned sheepishly and nodded before shuddering involuntarily. There was just… _something_ about Azura's eyes that somehow managed to simultaneously attract _and_ terrify him. Corrin frowned as he noticed Xander staring intensely at Anthony, who was still lying on the ground, an odd expression on his face.

"Xander, don't—"

Xander briskly strode over to Anthony, who dazedly sat up, as if surprised that he was still alive. Corrin tensed and loosened Yato in its sheath as he followed closely behind Xander.

Xander knelt down next to Anthony and stared at him with that same odd expression. Anthony noticed and fidgeted uneasily. "I-I don't r-really know how to say this, b-but I'm really so—"

"Anthony. I think I owe you an apology," Xander said formally.

Anthony blinked and opened his mouth in a small _o._ "Oh! Um, what?"

Xander cleared his throat. "I'm here to apologize to you for…actions I may have done in the past. I realize now that despite your suspicious background, and despite your…behavior…I now see that I was wrong to ever accuse you of being a Vallite spy. We all heard your screams, and some of us even saw what you tried to do. And…I'm just here to apologize to you…about the whole, you know, bridge scene. And everything we thought of you before."

Anthony looked at Xander with something close to resembling both gratitude and guilt. "I…accept," Anthony said after a moment of deliberation. "But I'm sorry. I'm not what y-you think I am. I-I am…a Vallite spy."

Xander blinked. "What?"

Anthony coughed uneasily and looked down at his feet. "Well…I mean, I was. B-but you know, I switched sides! But …I guess you were right about me all along…I am a Vallite spy"

Xander did not respond but continued staring into the distance. Corrin grimaced and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, Xander. You saw how they were treating him. Do you really think he'll go back to serving them just like that? Please, don't be like our father. _Show_ some mercy! I—"

"Enough," Xander said, standing up, his voice low and hard.

Anthony yelped and seemed to shrink beneath Xander's terrifying visage. Corrin futilely tried to pull his older brother away from Anthony, pleading him to forgive him.

"You're lucky I'm not like my father, Anthony," Xander said. "I understand you originally planned to betray us to Anankos, but after watching you beg for Corrin's life, and not just your own, I must admit, I find that rather…admirable."

Anthony looked back up at Xander, this time, his face seemed to portray something much closer to surprise.

"Make no mistake, however," Xander continued, his voice still low and hard. If you even think about trying to betray us again, count yourself lucky if I don't get to you first."

Anthony gulped and Corrin ruefully shook his head. "I think that's enough, Xander. We've been through quite the journey today. Give him a break, would you?"

Xander did not reply but stomped away from the two of them, his cape billowing behind him. Azura, who was watching tensely from a distance away, released the pent-up breath she had been holding and crossed over to Corrin. Corrin sighed and offered his hand to help Anthony up.

Anthony looked up in surprise, but after a second hesitation, gratefully accepted it. To Corrin's surprise, however, Anthony's hand suddenly turned smoky purple as he grasped it.

"Anthony? What's…wrong with your arm?" Corrin asked, perplexed.

Anthony frowned in confusion. "What do you mean…?"

His eyes widened in panic as he realized that the purple smoke was slowly spreading up his arm. He desperately waved his arms around.

"C-Corrin? What's happening?"

Corrin pushed his hair back as he looked around desperately. "Azura! Call Elise and Sakura!" he called.

Azura nodded and ran off towards Sakura and Elise, who were busy tending to one of Nile's many wounds. Corrin turned his attention back on Anthony and was alarmed to see that the purple smoke had spread all the way up his arms and his legs were beginning to dissipate as well.

"C-Corrin?" Anthony reached out towards Corrin and somehow managed to wrap an arm around Corrin's waist as his other arm clutched at his stomach. "I don't…I'm not feeling so good."

Corrin gripped him tightly. The breath of life that Anankos had breathed into Anthony had finally turned against its useless and most cowardly owner; Anthony was reaping the reward for his cowardice, his moment of pity, his inability to kill.

"Don't worry Anthony, you're going to be alright. I promise." He looked over his shoulder to check Azura's progress. "Hurry!" he bellowed towards Elise, who was running towards them.

Anthony's hands scrabbled up Corrin's back as he suddenly screamed in pain. Corrin pushed him away, startled, as he looked down at Anthony in concern and staggered backwards in even more shock as he realized that the entirety of Anthony's body was covered in the purple smoke.

"Corrin! Stay back!" Gunter shouted at him. Corrin stared dumbly at Anthony, who collapsed onto the ground and began to twitch paranormally.

"H-help…" he groaned. Corrin watched in horror as Anthony, now fully overtaken by the purple smoke, writhed in pain and screamed as… _something_ began to happen to him.

Anthony screamed again as a loud _snap_ scraped against Corrin's ears. One of what looked like was once one of Anthony's arms suddenly doubled, then _tripled_ in size. The rest of the body soon followed. Throughout the whole process, Anthony's breathing—a panicked, high-pitched sawing—continued to reverberate within Corrin's ears as Elise tried to pull him away.

"W-why? Please…no…I'm…sorry…" Anthony finally gasped before his breathing suddenly stopped. The purple mass continued to writhe and pulsate on the ground as Corrin finally forced himself to back away.

With a monstrous roar, the purple smoke suddenly exploded outwards, knocking over Corrin and Elise, and rose up to reveal a massive Faceless standing over a splotch of blood and gore. The monster roared and swatted at Corrin and Elise with one of its gore-filled fingernails. Corrin struggled to unsheathe Yato as he scrabbled to his feet while Elise screamed stumbled backwards in shock.

Then, just as quickly as the monster had appeared, a burst of blue-hot fire flashed through the air and cut into the iron mask on the Faceless' head. The monster poked a scab-covered finger into the massive hole in what used to be its face before swaying and falling backwards.

As it fell, Corrin could faintly hear Anthony's voice whispering "Thank you," as the corpse dissolved into smoke.

Corrin stared wide-eyed at the iron mask that had once been worn by Anthony. He barely paid any attention when Azura walked up behind him and slid her fingers into his, squeezing his hands reassuringly. He continued to stare, horrified at what he had just seen.

No one deserved to die like that, being transformed into…one of those things. Corrin had seen his own share of horrible things on the battlefield: decapitated heads stuck on wooden spears, a man screaming in pain as his executioner cut off his hands, a man's head exploding as a burst of magic boiled his brains, but nothing compared to what he just witnessed. Corrin felt a stream of bile rising up in his throat as he turned and vomited onto the ground in front of him. Elise patted him on the back awkwardly as she spouted off information on how to get better, her voice shrill and shaking, as he gasped for breath.

Coughing, he stood back up. "Does…does anyone…want to…" His voice died halfway through.

Nobody responded. Instead, they all shifted uneasily and took a sudden interest in their boots. Corrin pursed his lips angrily as he looked around at them.

"Fine then. If nobody has anything to say to…then we need to move out. Anankos knows we're here," he said.

Ryoma shifted uneasily. "Are…you sure you don't want to say anything, Corrin? I mean…I know some of us didn't like him or trust him as much as you did, but that's still no excuse to—"

"He was one of Anankos' servants. He betrayed him, and then he joined us, and then he betrayed us to Anankos. End of story. I'm pretty sure that's what all of you would've said, right? _Move out,"_ Corrin snapped.

Xander, Azura, and Ryoma looked at each other uneasily. None of them had heard Corrin this angry before voice before. "A-are you su—?" Xander asked.

Corrin glared at him. "Yes, I'm sure!" he shouted. "We need to move. _Now_."

Leo coughed. "Er, I don't want to play devil's advocate here, but our guide just sort of..."

Corrin turned on Leo. "Don't," he said curtly.

Leo blinked in surprise. "Ah, I mean, well, our only reliable, if not shady, source of information, is…absent, for lack of better terms. How are we going to find the secret entrance?" he asked warily.

Corrin turned and pointed towards a road leading further into the woods. "Anthony said that beyond this set of ruins, there would be a road leading through a forest that should take us next to a cliffside. Within that cliffside is a secret tunnel or door. There's a button with a cross scratched into it. Press it, and we're in."

Everybody looked at each other uneasily. "Are you—" Xander asked again.

Corrin snapped again. "Yes I'm sure! If you hadn't noticed, _Xander_ , an innocent boy just _died_ in front of us. I'd be pretty willing to make sure his dream that Anankos gets overthrown gets completed sometime soon, wouldn't you?"

Xander blinked. "Well, Yes, but I mean—"

"Then if you have nothing else to say, then move out. _Now_."

Grudgingly, everybody packed up and set off on the trail Corrin had indicated, whispering quietly among themselves as Corrin found himself marching at the front of the group. As they walked, Azura slipped up behind Corrin.

"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked quietly.

Corrin did not look at her but he clenched his fist. "Yes," he said curtly.

Azura frowned. "No, you're not. What's wrong?"

Corrin's right eye twitched, the way he did whenever he was angry but was trying not to show it. "I think you know what's wrong," he said in a low, hard voice.

"A boy just died in front of me. I promised him that I would reunite him with his friend, and that together, we would overthrow and defeat Anankos. I think it's pretty obvious that you know what's wrong."

Azura bit her lip, trying to pick out her words carefully, to avoid upsetting Corrin more than he already was. "Corrin, I…hope you know that that wasn't _really_ Anthony."

As Corrin angrily turned on her, she hastily added, "Some puppets have freewill!"

She looked down at her feet guiltily. "I'm be honest, when you left with Anthony…I snuck off into the woods. By myself."

"You _what?_ "

Corrin angrily turned towards her. "I thought I told you—"

"I know!" Azura retorted. "But something about those ruins seemed…familiar, somehow. And I wanted to look around."

Corrin grunted and looked away. "So what'd you find?" he asked. Even in his anger, Corrin was mindful about Azura's past.

Azura pursed her lips and fiddled with a piece of hair. "Well, I sort of found a lake."

Corrin looked at her blankly. "A lake. You ran off…to find a lake."

Azura glared at him. "It's not just a lake!" she snapped. "It…used to be where my father and mother took me on our off-days…"

Corrin grimaced. "Oh, I see. I'm sorry."

Azura nodded. "Yes, well, you see, while I was…looking at the lake, er—actually what was _left_ of the lake—Anankos somehow destroyed and dried it up sometime after my mother and I escaped Valla, and I…bumped into someone."

Corrin glanced at her through the side of his eye. "Who was it?"

"Oh, well, it's kind of…hard…to explain. Anankos sent one of my old…I don't what to call him—he was sort of like my bodyguard, but he was also a sort-of butler—"

"Do you mean a retainer?"

Azura snapped her fingers. "Yeah, that's what I meant. Er, like I was saying, while I was looking…at a lake…Anankos sent Darius, one of my old retainers."

Corrin raised an eyebrow, his anger temporarily forgotten. "Oh really? What did he do? You're not hurt, are you?"

Azura shook her head. "Oh no, he didn't do anything to harm me, but…he talked to me. And he offered me a deal…"

"What…kind of deal?" Corrin asked warily. "I hope you know that literally anything Anankos says to us could be part of his madness."

Azura frowned at him. "I know!" she retorted. "It's just…whatever. Long story short, he appeared in front of me, told me that 'Lord Anankos' would spare us if I gave him my pendant, and then died."

Corrin blinked in surprise. "Wait, _died?_ "

Azura shrugged nonchalantly, even though her knees were threatening to buckle underneath her. "Yeah. I sort of stabbed him with my naginta."

Corrin grunted again and faced forward again. "But before he…died, he spoke to me," Azura continued. " _He_ actually spoke to me. Like, it wasn't some puppet being controlled by Anankos. It was actually Darius talking to me. And…and…he told me of how happy he was to see me…and then he just _died_ in front of me."

Azura sniffed and wiped her tears on the back of her hand. "Anyways," she said, her voice thicker, "I stabbed him, and then he just…vanished. But I think the important thing here is that…not everyone, as much as I hate to admit it, not everyone is free from the games of those more powerful than them. I'm sorry Corrin, but Anthony, the person, must've died a long time ago, and that person you were talking to all this time…I'm afraid that he was just a puppet. A corpse reanimated and used by Anankos to lure you into a vulnerable position."

Corrin frowned and rubbed his chin. "But…the trap failed, didn't it? In the end, Anthony wasn't acting on Anankos' orders. In the end, he was actually trying to _save_ me. He threw himself in front of those Vallites, and he tried to apologize to me afterwards."

Azura frowned. "That's…not likely. I haven't heard of a time where people can just…regain their consciousness like that…" she murmured. "Normally, it's only when they're useless to him as a servant is when Anankos releases control over them."

"Maybe, in his madness, Anankos released Anthony a little bit too early?" Corrin asked hopefully.

Azura shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. The point is, I'm _worried_ about you. I've never seen you like that before. Shouting at your own siblings, snapping at me, sulking off by yourself: none of these things are like you. I know you just watched a…graphic…scene, but—"

Corrin sighed. "Fine, you want to know why I want to punch everything right now? Frist off, not only did Scarlet die when this whole thing just barely got started, but a _boy_ , a _child_ , less than ten years old just died in front of me after he _just_ confided in me that his biggest dream was to see Anankos overthrown. Guess what didn't come true for him? Overthrowing Anankos and living to see the day. And what did everyone else do when I asked for someone to give a eulogy? _Nobody responded._ Nobody! A _child_ just gave their life up for us, and yet they don't have the common decency to say a few words, to shed a few tears? How could I _not_ get angry at that?"

Azura bit her lip, shaken by Corrin's outburst. "Corrin…" she said gently.

"And you know what's worse? There's probably a couple hundred soldiers out there, who are barely over the age of manhood, and are already risking their lives just so we can find a secret passageway and sneak in. I mean everyone probably think me as a pathetic fool for grieving so much about a single child while, there's probably hundreds, thousands more out there just like him."

"Corrin!" Azura shouted. Behind him, Niles and Odin both blinked and hastily dropped back towards the back of the group.

"Listen to me," she said. "I know you hate yourself right now. I know you hate being unable to help those who need help, but quite frankly, if you're going to be this upset and angry about a child dying, you'll spend half your life in a rage!"

"Are you implying that what we all saw was 'just a child dying?'" Corrin said dangerously.

"No! No, that's not what I meant at all!" Azura said, shocked. "All I'm saying, is that if you're this angry, how are you able to focus on the battle in front of us? If you can't focus, Anankos will never be defeated, and that means there's going to be hundreds, thousands, _millions_ , of future children who will have the same fate! All you can do for Anthony at this point is to press on and honor his memory by fighting for him as hard as you can. And if it means forgetting the fact that he ever existed in the first place, I'm sure will be happy to accept that fact. All you can do is press on. This won't be the last horrible thing you'll see, and it sure won't be the last if you continue to remain this angry."

Corrin glared at her before staring at the ground. "I see," he said again, in that low, dark voice.

Azura forced him to look at her. "As for why nobody volunteered, what were expecting out of them? It happened so quickly, nobody was even expecting it. Only Leo, who knew how to create Faceless in the first place, knew what was going on! Nobody thinks you as a fool for grieving over a child! That just shows that—depite your dragon blood—you're as human as the rest of us! You care about people! I know you hate this more than anything else, but…" Azura's voice dropped to little more than a whisper, "…but if you can't go on…then none of us can…"

Corrin said nothing but wrapped his cloak more tightly around his shoulders as he stormed ahead of her.

"Corrin!" Azura called. "Where—"

"I need some time to myself, Azura," he snapped back. "I know you want to help, but I don't want to hear it right now."

Azura silently watched him storm off, despair on her face.


	21. Chapter 21

"So our spy failed?"

"He was never ours to begin," a cold, female voice replied. "His convictions were strong, but his heart was weak."

"So he failed," the first voice, a deep, gravelly-sounding rumble, retorted.

The second voice spluttered in indignation for a few seconds. "W-well, yes, but at least now we know where they are."

"And where, exactly, are they?" a third voice entered. Like the second, this voice was female, but unlike the second, the third voice was warm and motherly.

The second voice hesitated for a second before responding, "They are currently in the Lost Forest, heading towards one of the tunnels underneath the castle."

"And right into another one of your traps, I presume?" the gruff voice asked.

"Correct."

"I do hope this one will work better for you this time, Arete. Lord Anankos was furious at your cowardice when they first entered Valla."

Arete shuffled nervously. "I did not plan for them to activate all of the dragon veins so quickly. I should've sent a majority of my forces to a few specific dragon veins rather than spread my forces out between all seven. By the time I knew what they were planning, there was nothing I could do."

"As it were, your failure to stop the half-blood and that…woman will not be tolerated again. Lord Anankos has promised a thousand years worth of pain for each of us should one of us fail him again. I would rather combine all three of our forces and overwhelm that half-breed's group at once." the first voice replied. "Mikoto, what are your thoughts?"

"Hm? Ah, forgive me. I mean no disrespect, but I believe your plan has several glaring flaws in it. We cannot afford to ignore the majority of Corrin's army. Despite their main role as a distraction, they are a dangerous one, and we can't let them overtake us. Also, their…tactician…is interesting indeed. I've never seen him move an army so large so fluidly. Perhaps you should take a page from his book, Arete"

"Yes, but that half-blood's group is more dangerous still," Arete replied, ignoring the insult. "Should they infiltrate the castle, there will be little to no opposition between them, and Lord Anankos."

"Nonsense," the first voice scoffed, his voice echoing around the tunnel they were standing in. "Their group is little more than a smattering of cowards who were too afraid to fight on the frontlines and women who have mistaken a spear for a common kitchen knife. They are no threat to us."

"Excuse me?" Arete snapped. "Need I remind you, Sumeragi, that it was a coward who brought you into Lord Anankos' servants in the first place?"

Before Sumeragi could utter a retort, a deep rumbling sound echoed through the tunnel as a massive talon reached out from the darkness ahead of them. Almost immediately, all three of the figures knelt to one knee bowed their heads respectfully

"Ah—forgive us, Lord Anankos. I—"

" _YOU…WILL NOT LET THEM INTO…MY CASTLE_ ," a voice rumbled. Unlike the previous voices, this voice was much, much deeper, and was frayed with the growls and raspiness of a dragon. The claw raised one talon deftly and pointed it towards Arete, who shivered as the ivory-tipped talon touched her brow.

" _YOU WILL…LET THEM INTO THE TUNNELS, AND YOU—"_ The talon gestured towards the other woman, " _WILL KILL THEM. HERE. IN MY CASTLE."_

"Wh-what about me, milord?" Sumeragi asked. Arete and the other woman averted their eyes and hastily moved out of the way as three, blood-red eyes opened, bathing Sumeragi in a spotlight of blood-red light.

Sumeragi's jaw dropped as he stared at the fell orbs. Before he could react, he suddenly screamed in pain and clutched his arm as they elongated, the bones creaking, the muscles tearing. Then, just as quickly as it had distorted itself, Sumeragi's arm returned to its original appearance.

" _HOW DARE YOU TALK TO_ _ME_ _?"_ the raspy voice roared. " _ALL OF YOU…ARE VERMIN BENEATH MY FEET."_

"P-please, milord! I meant no—" Sumeragi screamed again as his other arm underwent the same process: stretching out to the point when the skin was starting to tear and show muscle, only to snap back to its original appearance.

Sumeragi, still shaking with pain, remained silent this time as he bowed his head and retreated. A thunderous snort echoed throughout the chamber as the eyes closed, creating a clean _snick_ sound which echoed around the chamber.

" _YOU, HUMAN, WILL STOP THAT…MAN. HE STINKS OF ANOTHER DRAGON…OF ANOTHER WORLD. YOU…WILL STOP HIM."_

All three of bowed low to the ground as they backed away and out of the tunnel, the massive golden gates closing them behind them. Sumeragi sighed in relief as he rested his hand against the wall.

"Well, at least it wasn't as bad as what he did to you, Arete," Sumeragi panted.

"You really must learn to keep your lips shut," Arete said coldly as she shuddered involuntarily and walked away.

"And…where are _you_ going?" Sumeragi growled as he glared at her.

Arete barely paused to look over her shoulder as she replied scathingly, "Getting back into Lord Anankos's good books. You should consider doing the same."

Sumeragi scowled as he balled his fists. "Oh, you're a real piece of work, Arete. Pretending to be all efficient and mighty just because you've been in Anankos' service the longest."

Arete shot him a scathing glare over her shoulder before turning the corner and disappearing from sight. Mikoto, who had been lurking in the background the whole time, sighed and steered Sumeragi in the opposite direction.

"Perhaps you should actually starting to do your duty," she tutted.

Sumeragi scoffed as he brushed her off. "Hah! What duty? All Anankos has asked of me is to spend more time doing what I love! Waging battle against enemies of the throne, and crushing everyone beneath me!"

Mikoto sighed as she pushed forward and broke off into a different direction. Sumeragi frowned as he noticed her absence. "And where are _you_ going now?"

"To make preparations for my own part," she replied.

Sumeragi narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You're not thinking of making the same mistake Arete's servant did and trying to desert, are you? You know Lord Anankos will find you."

Though Mikoto remained expressionless, her breath hitched. "No, of course not. I am loyal to Lord Anankos, and only to him. I simply…needed to study up on Corrin's strategy and see what I can do to stop him. Hopefully, Arete will do her job well enough so that my part will be unneeded"

"But in case they _do_ break through Arete's defenses, you're sure that you'll be able to kill that filthy half-blood, right?" Sumeragi asked.

Mikoto paused to throw a reproachful glance over at Sumeragi. "For your information, Sumeragi, Corrin is as much as your child as he is mine. Do try to show _some_ respect. He has come a long way…to rejoin us."

* * *

"This forest does seem like it goes on forever, doesn't it, big sis?"

"Hm?"

Azura looked up from the ground in front of her and looked over at Elise, who had trotted up on her pony. "Pardon me, but what did you say?"

"I _said_ that this is a really big forest," Elise repeated cheerfully. Despite the events earlier that day, namely Anthony transforming into a monster after a gory and gruesome scene, and Takumi nearly falling to his death not once, but twice, Elise still managed to somehow keep a cheerful smile on her face.

"Do you know how big it is, Azura?" Elise asked.

Azura shrugged. "I-I mean, I don't know the _exact_ number of trees here in this forest, but I know it's pretty large."

"Do you remember anything about this place?" Elise continued to ask.

Azura shrugged again. "A little bit. Not much though. Just riding in my father's lap whenever he deigned to take me hunting. Holding my mother's hand whenever she took me on a stroll."

" _Wow_ ," Elise said, her eyes bright. "you sure had a lot of time with your mother, huh?"

Azura smiled faintly. "Well, no, not really. She was a queen, and as such, had queenly matters to attend to, but the few days she had time, we would always spend it together."

"Oh…" Elise's smile disappeared from her face as she took a sudden interest in her pony's mane. "I wish I had a mother as great as yours."

Azura's lips tightened. She had forgotten that, like her, Elise had grown up in Garon's court, and unlike Azura, never had a mother that truly cared for her.

"I mean, I did have a mother, but she never really cared about me that way, you know? Like she didn't hang out with me and read books with me or hold my hand. All she wanted to do was to use me to make Father like her more," Elise said bitterly.

Azura remained silent but awkwardly patted Elise's leg as they continued to walk silently.

"Anyways," Elise said casually, "is there anything else about your old life you remember?"

Azura raised and lowered her shoulders. "If I remember correctly, Valla used to have one of the richest and revered libraries in the world."

Elise' eyes widened in excitement. " _Woah_ …did you spend a lot of time there too?"

Azura shook her head. "No. I've always wanted to read a book in one of Valla's Grand Royal Libraries, but unfortunately, most of them were destroyed, burned to the ground, buried, or forgotten about when Anankos at—"

Azura grunted as she ran headlong into Xander's back. "Oh! Xander! Sorry I didn't—"

Azura's voice died in her throat as she followed Xander's gaze to a virtual blockade of Vallite soldiers standing before them. And standing ahead of the wall of shields was…

"You," Corrin growled towards woman dressed in a cloak and whose face was concealed by a hood, as usual.

"Me," the mage replied coldly. Again, there just _something_ about that mage's voice, the way how familiar it sounded to Azura.

"Welcome, each and every one of you," the mage said graciously. "I hope you have been enjoying your visit to Valla."

"Well, your attractions are slop, and your 'employees' are about as attracting as an unmasked Faceless," Corrin jeered. "How about you finally man up and fight us face-to-face, instead of running off whenever you run out of soldiers to throw at us?"

The woman may have sneered, it was hard to tell from underneath her hood. "I see your range of insults has improved, if only slightly. If it is a honest fight you wish, and not a strategic one, then I will grant you your wish. Be warned however, my master was very… _displeased_ with my failure to prevent you from entering Valla. I have no wish to endure that same level of punishment again, so I'm afraid you'll need to try a little harder."

"Our fortitude and skills have doubled since the last time we've met, you cur," Gunter growled. "If anything, it is _you,_ who will need to try harder."

"Well, zero times two is still zero, I'm afraid," the mage retorted. "And I've seen that your party looks most displeased with me. Has it something to do with that boy I sent you? What was his name again? Tony? Adrian?"

"It was 'Anthony', you monster," Corrin scowled. "And you're going to regret ever using and sacrificing a child like that."

The mage shrugged. "What of it? Not everyone makes it back from war. Especially the innocent. As for having a 'face-to-face- fight, I suppose it would be remiss of me to continue hiding my identity from you."

With that statement, the mage reached up and tore the cloak off her body, revealing a woman with short, choppy hair, and blue hair—the same shade of blue as Azura's. The woman donned a helmet pruned with a single, large feather as a set of pauldrons materialized on her shoulders, emblazoned in gold with the Silent Dragon of Valla symbol upon them.

Azura gasped. "Mother? B-but that's impossible! You died…"

The mage gave no indication that she had heard Azura as she clambered onto a skeletal horse that had appeared next to her.

"I am Arete. The seventh queen of Valla, and devoted servant to the great ruler of this land, the mighty Anankos," she proclaimed.

Azura shook her head in disbelief. "But…it can't be…"

Arete mockingly tilted her head towards Azura. "Are you really that surprised, my dear? Everyone who enters Valla is King Anankos' servant, willingly or not. I was unsuccessful in repelling you the first time, but this time, I shall not fail."

"You…were the mage we fought all those times," Azura said slowly, her voice shaking ever so slightly.

Xander kneaded his forehead. "What source of trickery is this? Do we have to fight Azura's _mother_ to move on?" He turned towards Corrin and azura. "I know you said that Anankos could raise the dead and bend them to his will, but you never said anything about them still being alive!"

Corrin ignored Xander and glanced towards Azura, who continued to stare at the figure ahead of her. "Are you alright, Azura?" he asked. "I can't imagine how you must feel right now, but we have to push forward. We can't afford to let her slow us down."

Azura nodded, but continued ogling the mage. "I'm…alright," she said after a moments hesitation. "I know this… _thing_ isn't my mother, no matter how much she looked like her. Without any memories of my mother's past, this thing is nothing but a puppet."

The mage threw back her head and laughed. "Hah! You must think me a fool if you hope to distract me with such petty talk. 'Mother.' What nonsense. I'm as alive as you are right now. The only difference between your 'mother' and I is that I have only one goal—to kill you all. Lord Anankos has decreed it so, and so I shall carry out his wishes!"

The mage conjured a ball of purple flames in her hand . "Everything I do, I do in name of the almighty Anankos!" she shouted before lobbing the fireball towards Corrin.

Gunter tackled Corrin, pushing him down, and the fireball soared over the heads and splashed against the tree. Corrin swore and swung Yato in a wide arc around him as he scrambled to his feet.

"Get her!" he yelled.

Without hesitation, Corrin, Silas, Ryoma, and Xander charged forward, brandishing their own weapons as they shouted ferocious warcries. The rest of the group soon followed them.

Time soon blurred for Azura. She was dimly aware of her slowly being pushed to the back: her naginta was more useful when she had room to pirouette and dance away. Once or twice, she caught a glimpse of Corrin running through a Vallite soldier's chest with a lance-like appendage sticking out of his arm. Another time, Azura thought she had saw Ryoma and Xander working together to cleave through a line of shield-bearing spearmen, cutting the men and shields in half as if it was as durable as paper.

After what seemed like an eternity of fighting, Azura found herself face-to-face with the woman who resembled her mother.

"Why is it looking at you gives me such a splitting headache?" the mage hissed as she circled around her. "Is this some sort of trick or weapon? What else could this pain be?"

Azura blinked in surprise as she dodged one of the mage's clumsy stabs. "But…could it be…?" she muttered to herself as she jabbed towards the mage.

The mage growled as a particularly heavy blow from Azura's naginta knocked her back a step. "No matter—I can't allow you to go any further. Killing you will undoubtedly make this pain go away. Prepare for the next world!"

"I…met another servant…just like you!" Azura panted. "He looked…and sounded…and acted just like the man he was based on. In the end, he was nothing more than a puppet! I knew that…should I meet another one like him, I would have no choice but to strike them down myself!"

The mage did not respond but unleashed a flurry of stabs towards Azura. Azura yelped in pain and tried to dance away as one of the mage's stabs found its mark on her upper right-thigh. The mage, sensing her advantage pressed forward.

Soon, it was not Azura who had the upper hand, but the mage. The mage had managed to get under Azura's guard, and was slowly forcing her back, step by step. As they fought, Azura slowly became aware of the ground beneath them growing slippery from the blood cascading out of her leg whenever she put her weight on it.

The second wound was also Azura's: a gash above one eyebrow after the mage accidently struck her head with the pommel of her short sword, tearing skin and hair. Of the two wounds, Azura found the second to be the most aggravating, mainly because blood kept dripping into her eye at the most inopportune times.

Then Azura managed to catch the mage on the shoulder, her naginta stabbing through the ornate pauldron and into flesh and bone. As far as Azura could tell, the wound did not seem to impair the mage's ability to fight by much, but it seemed to cause the mage a great deal of pain, as well as preventing her from lifting her arm up any higher than her chest.

Azura received a cut to her left calf, and then—when the mage was still in the middle of recovering from a failed attack—Azura moved around to the mage's weak side—the side where she had managed to stab her— and brought down her naginta as hard as she could upon the middle of the mage's left greave, tearing armor and breaking bone.

The mage howled in pain as she jumped back on one leg. Here, Azura felt the tide shift in her direction. As a result of her shoulder wound and broken leg, the mage was unable to defend herself properly, and fell back onto the ground when Azura delivered a particularly heaving blow to shattered the mage's short sword.

As the mage fell, Azura saw the mage's hand reaching into her robes, undoubtedly to pull out some sort of tome or weapon. Without hesitation, Azura completed her pirouette and stabbed the mage through the chest, pinning her to the ground.

The mage coughed, and a spray of blood soon coated the front of her armor. Azura stared, taken aback. She had not meant to kill off her mother—no, the puppet— so brutally, but she had been caught up in the moment. She flinched as Corrin placed a hand on her shoulder and steered her away, murmuring softly into her ear.

"A…Azura."

Azura's eyes widened as she turned around to see the mage, still pinned to the ground, reaching weakly towards her.

"Azura, come closer to me…please, Azura."

"D…did she just…?" the words died in her throat as she felt herself walking towards her.

Corrin tightened his grip on her arm. "Maybe we shouldn't? This could be another trap."

"Anankos has released me from my service. Soon…soon both my body and soul will disappear forever…Ah, my sweet Azura, I remembered you…finally…" the mage crooned.

"But…it might not be," Azura whispered to Corrin. "I have to do this."

Corrin pursed his lips but released her. Azura walked silently over to her mother's side and knelt down next to her. The mage reached up to stroke Azura's face. She pushed a strand of hair away from her eyes.

"Oh…you've grown so much…and into such a fine woman," her mother whispered.

A single tear fell onto the mage's chest as Azura shifted in order to hold her. "M-mother? Is this really you?"

Arete gave a tear-filled smile as she nodded. "Yes," she gasped.

Azura tried to blink her tears out of her eyes as she hugged her mother tightly, ignoring the blood staining the front of her dress. "Oh, mother!" she sobbed. "I've missed you so much!"

Tears likewise appeared in her mother's eyes as she hugged her back. "I've missed you too, my little bird. I'm…so sorry for leaving you. You've suffered alone for such a long time. Could you please forgive me? I never…I never wanted to leave you, but—"

Azura wiped her face with the back of her hand. "I-I know," she said. "I know you never wanted to leave me alone, and I forgive you, but you were wrong about my suffering alone. I was never alone. I've had the royal children from both Nohr and Hoshido to keep my company. And others have joined me to help me, too. People…people like Corrin…"

"Corrin?" Arete frowned. "His name does seem familiar…"

Behind Azura, Corrin shifted uneasily. Arete's eyes snapped up towards him and reached out towards him.

"You!" she spluttered.

Corrin, surprised, knelt down next to Azura and took Arete's outstretched hand. "Yes?" he said, his voice slightly quavering.

"Treat her well, please…For her sake, you must defeat Anankos. You have to protect her. Even if all else fails, and you lay dying on the ground, promise me…promise me that you'll protect and take care of her…"

Corrin nodded his head gravely. Arete let out a sigh of relief as relaxed as her eyes unfocused, blindly wandering the sky above her. "Good…" she breathed.

She turned her sights back on Azura, who was now crying silently. "I'm so happy to see you again, Azura…I…I just wish I had more time with you. I can…feel myself slipping away…so slowly."

Azura hugged her mother even tighter. "No, wait! I just got you back! Mother, you can't leave yet! Don't go!"

Arete managed to stroke Azura's cheek one last time before her fingers and hand turned clear. "Thank you so much for being my sweet little girl…I'm so happy I saw you one last time. I love…I love you so…so much."

With these final words, Arete's eyes rolled back into her head. She let out a sigh as the rest of her body turned clear and dissolved into water. Corrin stared blankly at the water seeping between his knees as Azura broke down into another fit of sobs.

Azura blindly reached towards Corrin and he automatically wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed into his shoulder. Gunter, Takumi, Silas, Leo, Sakura, Hinoka, Camilla, Xander, Ryoma, and a few others gathered around them. Those wearing helmets or other headgear removed them and respectfully stood silently as they each bowed their heads in respect for The Seventh Queen of Valla.


	22. Chapter 22

"Corrin, are you _positive_ that we're going the right way towards your secret entrance, right?" Azura asked as she sidled up behind him.

Corrin's eye twitched. "It's not _my_ secret entrance. It's Anthony's," he growled as he wound his cape more tightly around his shoulders.

Azura blinked. "I see," she said coldly. "In that case, I guess I'll just head back to the end of the group then."

Corrin grimaced. "Actually—sorry, t-that was a bit harsh, wasn't it? Can you stay here? I need to talk to you."

Azura said nothing but raised an eyebrow.

" _Please?_ " Corrin added.

Azura smiled faintly. "Well, since you asked so nicely…what do you need to talk about?"

Corrin shrugged. "I mean, not much. I just noticed that you've been seeming a bit…down."

Azura looked at him. "What makes you say that?" she asked flatly.

Corrin shuffled uneasily and winced as he stepped on a particularly sharp piece of rock. "Ow—er, well, I mean, first off, I actually wanted to start off things between us by apologizing."

Azura raised an eyebrow. "What for?" she asked.

Corrin coughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, first off, I'm sorry I was yelling at you and Xander earlier."

Azura nodded wisely. "Ah, I see. Well then, in that case, I forgive you."

Corrin blinked in surprise. "W-wait, just like that? I mean, that's great! But I had this whole speech planned out a-and…" his voice died as Azura turned to look at him with her amber-gold eyes.

"Corrin, I'm not going to lie to you: what you said to me and Xander…well, honestly, they were a bit hard to hear, but after seeing my mother…" Azura's voice began to grow thick, "…pass on like that, I sort of get why you felt so angry about watching Anthony die and not having anybody volunteer to help him."

Corrin unconsciously rubbed his arm where Azura's mother had gripped him as she made him promise that he would protect Azura with his life. "About that…y-your mother, I mean," he said quietly.

Corrin looked down at his feet as they continued to walk. "I also wanted to say I'm sorry for…you know, robbing what last few moments you could've spent with your mother," he said. "I know you really wanted to see her again, and I'm really sorry that she spent half of her last few moments telling me to protect you and take care of you and—"

Azura clasped one of Corrin's hand. "No, it's fine." She squeezed his fingers with her own. "Of course I wanted to spend my mother's last few moments with her, but if she need to spend those last few moments telling you something, I understand completely. Whatever she needed to tell you, she needed to tell you, or else she wouldn't have waited until she died."

"So you're not angry at me at all?" Corrin asked.

Azura sighed and released Corrin's hand. "No, not really. A few minutes ago? Yes, probably. But now, after experiencing what you probably just experienced, I can see why you would feel so angry in the first place, and I understand what you were feeling and thinking.""

"But you're not mad at me?" Corrin asked again.

Azura rolled her eyes, "Yes, I'm not mad at you anymore, alright? Now, was there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?"

Corrin, relieved, released a pent-up breath. "No…not really. I was going to comfort you on…you know, your mother's death, but you seemed to have moved past it relatively well, somehow."

Azura shrugged. "Don't worry about me. I promise I'm fine. If I'm being honest with myself, I'm happier that I managed to spend those last few minutes with her. You have no idea what that means to me."

Corrin nodded as he pushed his way back to the front. The group walked in silence for little over an hour until Saizo, who was acting as the forward scout for them, raised his fist over his shoulder in an unmistakable gesture that meant _stop_. Corrin repeated the gesture to the people behind him, and after a few sounds of shuffling feet and clanking armor, the whole forest fell silent once again. Corrin crept forward towards Saizo, who was crouching behind an elder tree.

"What is it?" he whispered.

"According to your map and that so-called _boy—_ " Corrin's eye twitched, "—we're right where he said the secret entrance is. Only problem is, it looks like it's in that clearing over there."

Saizo pointed with his free hand towards a break in the trees. Corrin loosened Yato in its sheath as he crept forward silently. Saizo, Takumi, Laslow, and Kaze followed close behind him. As he brushed aside a stray branch, Corrin's jaw dropped.

Meanwhile, Laslow uttered a low whistle. "That's…a cliff."

Saizo brutally elbowed Laslow in the ribs. "Shut…up!" he growled. "There could be enemies all around us, and you choose to _whistle?_ Are you _trying_ to give our position away."

Laslow shot Saizo a withering glance as Kaze rested a hand on his twin's shoulder as he crept forward into the clearing.

"Kaze! What're you doing?" Saizo snapped. "Get back here! You don't know if it's safe or not!"

Kaze ignored him and continued creeping forward until he was in the middle of the clearing, whereupon he stood up, his eyes darting around, looking for any signs of danger. Corrin held his breath, waiting for the _twang_ of a bow to sound or the scraping sound as a sword was drawn out of its sheath to sound.

To his relief, nothing happened.

"Sometimes, Saizo, you really are just too paranoid for your own good," Kaze said as he gestured towards the group, who were still hidden in the bush. The group quietly creeped out of the shrubbery and stood gaping up at the cliff.

The cliff itself consisted of a flat, gray stone and stretched nearly a mile high. Roughly three-quarters of the way up, a thick white fog had settled in, obscuring the rest of the cliff and the castle that undoubtedly rested on top of it.

"How are we going to climb… _that_?" Silas asked. "I-I mean, we have Wyverns and pegasi, but what about the horses? We can't exactly have them climb with us, right?"

"That's because we're _not_ climbing, Silas," Azura said as she brushed past him. "Corrin, what did Anthony say about this secret passage? What do we need to look for?"

Corrin tore his gaze from the cliff and cleared his throat. "Well, according to Anthony, once we got out of the forest, he said we were supposed to arrive in some sort of clearing or whatever. He said that once we were here, we were supposed to find an 'x' scratched into the cliff face or something and press it, I think?"

Azura nodded. "As a suspected. Anthony used Castle Gyges' old sewer systems to escape didn't he?"

Camilla flinched. "Sewer system? My, you don't think there's—"

"No," Corrin said. "Whatever…muck…in there would have eroded long ago, since I'm assuming Anankos' puppets don't exactly need to use them, and I'm having a hard time imagining a dragon squeezing himself onto one of our—"

"That's besides the matter, little prince," Xander said as he and Ryoma strutted up towards them. Turning towards Corrin, the samurai said, "If this is indeed the spot Anthony spoke of, perhaps it would be prudent if everyone spread out to look for this…this 'x'?"

Corrin nodded. "Good idea. Have the men spread out. As soon as one of them finds it, call the rest of us over."

Xander shook his head. I'm sorry, Corrin, but _you_ need to be the one giving the orders now, not me, not Ryoma. You're the leader of this army, and as such, you're the one giving commands."

Corrin pursed his lips but made his way over to small rock pile where It would be easier for him to see everyone. Everyone turned their gaze away from the cliff to look at him. Some were interested, others looked irritated at the fact they had to look at him instead of the cliff.

"Alright, spread out and find an 'x' in the cliff," he said loudly. "If you find it, tell the rest of us _before_ you press it, alright?"

The group gave their murmurs of agreement and nodded as Corrin jumped off the pile of rocks. Xander nodded approvingly. "Not bad…not bad, little prince."

Corrin rolled his eyes. "Please, it wasn't that big of a deal, really," he said.

For nearly twenty minutes, they searched, ranging up and down the clearing as they worked their way out from their starting point. At last, Mozu gave a triumph cry and called Corrin's name.

"Let's see what you got, Mozu," he said.

The woman pointed excitedly towards two intersecting cracks in the rock. "It forms an 'x', right? I never got no schooling, so I'm guessing—"

"Yeah, that's an 'x'," Corrin confirmed. Azura and the others hurried towards them as Corrin tentatively pressed his hand against the slash marks. Nothing happened for a minute.

Corrin and the others looked around nervously. Nothing happened the second minute.

The third minute, however, the group staggered and gave cries of alarm as a single, paper-thin crack appeared at the base of the cliff. The crack ran ten, twenty feet upwards before splitting in two and arching down to either side, tracing the outline of two broad doors.

Once the outline was the complete, the group hastily staggered back as the doors swung outward on hidden hinges, scraping aside dirt and plants that had accumulated since the last time the doors were opened, revealing a stone-lined tunnel nearly twenty feet tall and half as wide. A musty, dank smell emanated from the tunnel.

The tunnel continued for a few feet before it was blocked of rusting, iron portcullis. Corrin stared at the portal, a feeling of both relief, trepidation, and apprehension growing inside of him. _Anthony was right!_

"Look," Gunter said as he pointed at the ground. Corrin looked, and he saw a path faintly leading into the tunnel. Despite the doors scraping against the dirt, Corrin could tell that the trail had been worn into place by the passage of tramping feet. One or more people must have been using the tunnel before Anthony. What's worse was that a majority of the footsteps were leading in.

"We should proceed carefully," Gunter said.

Corrin nodded in agreement and gestured towards Leo. Leo silently took Bryhindlr out from beneath the folds of his armor and riffed through it, looking for the appropriate spell. After a few minutes, Leo pointed towards the rusting portcullis and whispered, " _Ajarios."_

At once, the rusty portcullis retracted into the ceiling, producing a horrid screeching noise as the metal rubbed against rock.

"So much for sneaking up on anyone," Elise said as the sound echoed a hundredfold as it spread throughout the tunnel.

Corrin loosened Yato in its sheath. "Let's go. The sooner we're out of those tunnels, the better."

* * *

Corrin swore and rubbed his head as he banged his head against what felt like a tree root. Behind him, Ryoma, Benny, and Xander, along with some of the taller members of the group, scuffled frantically as they tried to avoid the tree branch. Nyx rolled her eyes and scoffed as she pushed past them. The dark mage did not have to bend much in order to avoid bumping into overhanging tree roots or the ceiling, but most of the men had to hunch over like an old man with rheumatism. Elise and Sakura gave him a sympathetic look as they eagerly raised their healing staffs.

"No, no, I'm fine," he whispered as he waved them away.

For the most part, the tunnel was empty. The twenty-feet tall door that they had seen at the beginning soon narrowed and shrunk to the point that most of the men had to hunch over. Most of the women were short enough to walk upright without needing to stoop, but those with mounts were forced to dismount their animals and lead them by hand.

While most of the horses and wyverns were fine with crawling, the pegasi staunchly refused to enter the tunnel with the rest of the company. It was only when they beasts realized that their masters would enter with or without them, that the animals followed them in.

Corrin and the others walked—or in some cases, crawled— as quietly as they could. Every bump and scrape echoed, filling the air with a multitude of overlapping whispers that seemed to murmur and sigh with a soul of their own.

He looked back at the group, who were silently watching him. Already, the entrance was enshrouded in darkness. The gloom and eeriness seemed almost palpable, like a choking wet cloth draped across his mouth. Combined with the low ceilings and dank smell, it left Corrin feeling cramped and constricted. As they walked, Corrin could feel a sense of panic welling up inside of him. He had never been fond of tight spaces, least of all tunnels. What happens if the tunnel collapsed suddenly? Nobody would know what happened to them. They would all slowly shrivel away and die, like a mouse entrapped in a snake's death grip. Corrin jumped as he felt someone touch his shoulder. He spun around to see Hinoka gripping his arm.

"It's alright, Corrin. None of us are going to die down here," she whispered.

Corrin nodded as he tried to suppress his panic. If Hinoka and her Pegasus could suppress their dislike of underground places, so could he. He took a deep breath, and released it.

On and on, they went through the corridor, which ran as straight as an arrow—never turning or bending. Corrin thought he detect a slight upward slant to the floor—which would make sense if this was a sewer system—but he was not entirely confident in that guess.

After what felt like an eternity, the dirt and stone beneath their feet began to soften and stick to their boots, like wet clay. Corrin shuddered as he stepped in something slimy. Never had he welcomed the idea of wearing boots as he had right now.

Water dripped continuously from the ceiling, sometimes landing on the nape of Corrin's neck and rolling down his spine, like the touch of a frozen finger. Behind him, Hinoka's Pegasus let out an irritated snort as a water droplet fell onto her long face.

Corrin let out a small grin, glad that he wasn't the only uncomfortable in this situation. Once, he slipped on a patch of mud and, when he put his hand out for balance, found that the wall was covered in some sort of slime. Corrin shuddered and wiped his fingers on the edge of his cape. He hated treating his cape like a common handkerchief, but most metal armors typically perform poorly as a towel.

An indeterminate number of minutes passed as they continued walking forward. They might have spent an hour walking, or maybe as few as a couple of minutes. Either way, Corrin's neck and shoulders were growing tired from standing half bent over and seeing the same ten feet of gray-hued stone, and he could tell the rest of the group felt the same, judging by their sighs of relief when Keaton and Kaden sniffed the air and declared that the tunnel would open up soon.

Corrin noticed too, for his dragon-like ears also gave him a slightly more acute sense of hearing compared to a normal human. The echoes were slowly waning and ever more of a delay was appearing between each repetition of the sounds. Soon, the tunnel engorged them into a large, circular chamber with a ridged, half-dome ceiling.

Save for a few broken barrels and rotting bookshelves, the chamber was empty. Across from them, three identical archways opened up to three identical rooms, all of them small, dark, and smelling like mold. What those rooms contained, Corrin did not want to see. More eerily, a pile of bones sat in the corner. Keaton sniffed interestedly.

The group stopped, and Corrin slowly straightened his back, wincing and sighing in relief as his sore muscles stretched. Ryoma, Benny, and Xander did the same.

"This…doesn't look like a sewer system," Takumi said.

"Which tunnel should we go on?" asked Elise.

Keaton scoffed and pointed to the left-most one. "Is it really not that obvious? That one. It's always the left-most one." And the wolfskin strode purposefully toward that same arch even as he spoke.

a coughed. "Um, nope. It's that one." He pointed towards the middle archway.

"How do you know?" Keaton asked sullenly. "Everything down here smells the same to me: mold, dead stuff, and trash." He sighed contently. "It's perfect…"

Corrin pushed the wolfskin aside. "First off, that's disgusting. Second off, how _do_ you know this is the right way?"

Before Kaden would answer, both Azura and Gunter said, "He's right," before blinking in surprise and staring at each other.

"Oh, er, pardon me, Lady Azura," Gunter stammered as he bowed and retreated.

Azura looked taken aback by Gunter's knowledge of the labyrinth but she stepped forward. "Well, the central archway seemed like the one that'll most likely take us up to the castle, right?"

Kaden nodded in agreement. "Yeah, plus, I'm hearing…a bit of wind from that tunnel."

"Wind?" Corrin asked skeptically. "Oh right, I forgot, you're a kitsune, sorry."

Kaden looked affronted but Xander stepped forward. "Either way, we'll find stairs soon enough. There can't be that many tunnels underneath Castle Gyges, right?"

Corrin shrugged and followed Kaden as the kitsune strode forward into the central archway.

The room though the central archway was larger than Corrin had first expected: the walls extended to the sides for nearly forty feet, then turned and continued for another twenty, whereupon it ended at a corridor studded with shattered and empty sconces. Further onward, there was another room lined with three arches, each of which leading to even more rooms and arches and so on.

"So much for 'There can't be that many tunnels under Castle Gyges,' right, Nohrian?" Takumi said tauntingly at Xander. Xander's eyes narrowed and clenched his fist, but beyond that, did not seem to have heard the comment.

Keaton curiously nudged a rotting two-legged stool which fell apart to reveal a pile of cobwebs. Kaden shuddered at the sight but continued onward.

The kitsune never hesitated or seemed off-put by the amount of tunnels they had to traverse. They first turned right, then right again, and then left. Corrin would have objected, except he found no better alternative.

Kaden suddenly stopped and shook his head, his ears twitching, as he sniffed around the circular room they had just entered. The room had eight equally space archways placed around the walls. Eight different corridors, including the one they just exited, stretched out from the archways.

"What's wrong, Kaden?" Setsuna asked worriedly as the kitsune swung his head from side to side.

"I've…I've lost the scent—metaphorically, of course," he said. "I can't detect the wind anymore. It's like…something just slammed shut against it."

Corrin twirled his cape—still covered in slime, though he did not care— in his fingers. "Y-you mean we're lost?" he asked, his voice an octave higher than usual.

"No, we are on the right track. It's…just I don't know where to go from here," Kaden replied.

Meanwhile, Azura and Leo both simultaneously gasped.

"What is it?" Corrin asked.

"The ceiling, Corrin," Azura whispered. "The ceiling. Look at it."

Corrin followed her gaze to the blocks of ancient, mold-covered stones and was shocked at the sight. What he first thought were cracks in the stone were not cracks, but rather runes carved deeply into the stone. They were small and neat, with sharp angle, straight stems, and perfect curves.

Mold, dirt, and the passage of what seemed like centuries had eroded part of the text, but majority of it remained readable.

" _Lumos!_ " Leo said. A yellow ball of light suddenly flashed into existence, blinding Corrin.

"Ah, dammit, Leo!" he cursed. "Why couldn't you have given us a warning?"

Leo ignored him but stood on tiptoe and raised the ball of light in his hand as high as he could. Corrin blinked the spots out of his eyes and squinted at the text.

"What does it say, Azura?"

" _This"_ —the songstress cast her arms up towards the ceiling—"is a complete and unaltered history of Valla, Hoshido _and_ Nohr. When Anankos came into power, he either destroyed or changed any texts that reflected him negatively. _This_ is a complete history of our three countries that none of our scholars have never seen before. A true and honest history."

"You mean…the scholars from _our_ time never found this?" Corrin asked.

Leo nodded absentmindedly. "Yes…yes…the stone is several centuries years old. I'm assuming now that this whole system of tunnels was excavated from storage or some other use, but a few scholars—or stonemason with too much time eon their hands and an unprecedented knowledge of history— must have carved this here."

"If only we could stay here and read this," Nyx sighed. "But alas…we simply don't have the time. I swear…I was there at some of these events described. How good it feels to see the names of my old friends inscribed here. If only everyone could see this…"

Corrin glanced at the eight seven corridors. "Fine, then. Take a few moments to rest and catch up on history. But read quickly, we can't waste any more time. Oboro, Kagero, you two are part-time artists, right?"

Oboro tore her gaze from the runes. "Er, well, I mean, I can sew and make clothes, so I gue—"

"Alright. I want you two to see if you can memorize as much as these runes as you can. It doesn't have to be perfect, but enough so that you can create a rough draft of it later."

The two women nodded vigorously and stared at the ceiling with an even greater intensity. Corrin walked around the corridor, looking curiously into each of the tunnels. Those who weren't staring up at the runes avidly, set their weapons down and tried to rest as well as they could. Meanwhile, Xander called Laslow's name.

"You rang, milord?" Laslow asked.

"Mark where we came from, or else we'll get even more lost," Xander ordered to Laslow.

The gray haired retainer nodded gravely and turned around before blanching. "Er—milord, which one did we just come from?"

The mood shifted instantly. Azura, Nyx, and Leo reluctantly tore their gaze from the ceiling. " _What?_ " Leo asked.

Laslow shrugged, his eyes wide with panic. "I don't know, milord! I don't know which one we came from!"

Before Leo could throttle Laslow in desperation, a booming _thud_ echoed around the chamber. Instantly, everyone was on their feet and drew their weapons. Azura gripped Corrin's shoulders. She frowned as she noticed how much he was shaking.

"Corrin, are you alright?" she asked.

Corrin swallowed nervously. "Y-yeah. It's just…underground spaces, I don't like them."

Azura felt a pang of sympathy shoot through her. Of course, Corrin hated tight spaces. He grew up in an enclosed space. He was part dragon, a creature known for their hate of claustrophobic areas and preference for open air. She rubbed his shoulder soothingly as Corrin's eyes darted around, looking for any signs of danger.

It happened so quickly, Corrin and Azura would never have noticed had they not been facing the right direction. A half-dozen doors hidden in the walls of three different corridors swung open, releasing a flood of Vallites into the chamber.

Corrin pushed Azura away as the Vallites charged toward them. Caught off-guard as they were, Corrin's group were forced to separate into two separate groups as the Vallites swung their weapons indiscriminately. Corrin, along with Lloyd, Nichol and Llewelyn, were forced apart from the rest of the group as fighting and shouts broke out. Corrin tore Yato out from its sheath and easily parried a stab, beheading the attacker in the process. Like most Vallites, the swordsmen's eyes were blank and soulless, and the mouth remained stubbornly closed, still set in a determined expression, as the head tumbled to the floor.

More Vallites continued to pour out of the room and into the chamber, and Corrin felt panic well up inside of him as he saw their numbers. _There's too many of them…we can't stop them!_

Most of the Vallites seemed to crowd around Corrin, pushing him back into a corridor through sheer weight of numbers. Hands grabbed his legs and arms, threating to immobilize him. To his right, Llewelyn screamed in pain as he fell onto his back, his arm splashing onto the ground a second later.

"No! Brother!" Lloyd shouted as the Vallites converged on the fallen warrior, akin to vultures diving at a fresh desert carcass.

Lloyd shouted with rage and grief as he swung his axe with even greater ferocity as he moved towards Llewelyn. Before he could take more than a couple of steps towards his twin, an arrow pierced his throat, throwing him back against the wall.

Lloyd's eyes widened in surprise as he grabbed the shaft and yanked it out of his neck, halving what remained of his life as he twitched and shook on the ground. Meanwhile, Nichol stabbed frantically into the wave of Vallites converging on him.

Corrin tried to push past the berserker in front of him to reach Nichol, but before he could finish off the berserker, a flash of steel flickered in Corrin's vision, and Nichol's head dropped to the ground, an expression of surprise still on his face. The body fell a couple seconds later.

"No!" Corrin shouted.

Corrin tried to push through the wall of Vallites separating him from the rest of the group, but was forced back when he received a nasty cut to his right arm. He hissed and retreated, clutching his arm. The wall of Vallites, however, pulsed and slowly edged towards him.

"Dammit!" he swore. Corrin backed up against the wall, swinging Yato desperately.

In the distance, he could see the rest of group, including Azura being forced into one of the archways. Azura looked around wildly for Corrin, and was horrified to see him on the other side of the room clutching his arm as he desperately fought off the dozen or so Vallites converging on him.

"Corrin!" she screamed. "Corrin!"

Corrin skewered another Vallite through the ribs and looked around wildly for Azura. After a few agonizing seconds, the red eyes met gold.

"Go!" Corrin waved her away. "Go with them! I'll be fine! _Go!"_

Azura froze in her tracks, unsure of what to do. Meanwhile, Kaze had wrapped an arm around her waist and was dragging her towards the wall of shields Benny, Effie, and Xander had managed to create.

"No! Corrin!" she pummeled Kaze's arm futilely. "We have to help him!"

Despite the darkness, Kaze's face was pale. "We can't!" he gasped. "Too…many! Trust…him…"

"No! Corrin! _Corrin!_ "

* * *

Corrin sighed in relief as he watched Kaze bore Azura away and behind the wall f shields set up by Benny and Effie. For some inexplicable reason, as soon as the ninja and songstress where hidden behind the shields, the Vallites pursuing them suddenly stopped, turned around, and advanced towards Corrin.

Corrin turned and ran through the archway closest behind him. Corrin felt a pit grow in his stomach as he realized that it was a dead end. Corrin turned and raised Yato in preparation for a final stand as he edged back towards the wall. He knew that if he got himself cornered, there would be no escape, but based on the current situation, he had no other choice but to corner himself.

As the Vallites advanced, Corrin continued to back up, picking off any Vallites who strayed too far forward. However, everything went awry when Corrin's foot slipped on a wet piece of moss and he fell backwards. Corrin groaned as his head hit the cold stone floor beneath him. Hard.

Yato slipped out of his grasp and into the sea of feet around him. He feebly tried reaching out for the legendary weapon, but was too slow: a hand managed to snatch up the golden sword

That was it. That was the final act. Corrin struggled to his feet and shakily raised his hands as a sword point pressed up against his throat.

"I surrender."

What happened next, Corrin did not know. All he remembered was a Vallite swordsman raising his sword, a whistling sound, a dull pain flashing in the back of his head, and everything going black.

* * *

Kaze groaned and collapsed onto the floor as Azura pried his arms off her body. She stood up and ran over the Xander. Like Kaze, the Nohrian's prince was white—whether from shock or fear, she did not know.

"We need to go back!" she said, desperately tried to push past Benny and Effie. To her frustration, neither of them moved aside. Xander sighed and let his shield, an ornate, yet rusted, piece of metal, fall to the ground, where a loud _clang_ echoed around the chamber.

"I'm sorry, Azura. We can't. There was too many of them, and they managed to separate us while we were off-guard," he said, his voice still shaking.

Azura sank to her knees, devastated. She too, had seen Lloyd, Nichol, and Llewelyn fall. The only one she did not see die was Corrin, and she felt the worry eat away at her insides as she struggled not to cry.

Just how many things could happen to her in a single day? First Darius, then her mother, then watching three of their company die, and finally Corrin? How could anyone push past this…this level of punishment?"

"I can't do this anymore…" she whispered. "I…just can't."

Xander looked away, saddened. Though she could not see his face, she knew that he too was struggling not to cry. She felt someone kneel down beside her and rest a metal-covered hand on her shoulder.

"Not all hope is lost, Lady Azura," the gravelly voice of Gunter said. "First off, we know for a fact that Lord Corrin is not dead."

"How do you know?" she said caustically.

Gunter sighed. "Well, for one, his body isn't among the fallen, as far as I can see. Secondly, we just saw a group of Vallites retreating into one of those hidden doorways. They looked like they were carrying something—or someone."

Azura looked up and wiped a tear away. "'Someone'? You don't mean that they—"

Gunter nodded gravely. "Most likely. We've already sent Silas and Saizo out to retrieve and identify the bodies. Corrin's definitely not one of them."

"W-wait, already? I thought there was—"

Gunter shrugged. "I don't know, milady. As soon as you and Kaze were safe, they just…seemed to give up chasing you. Almost as if their main objective was to capture the two of you…alive."

Azura pushed herself to her feet, swaying a little bit. Gunter's hard automatically shot out to steady her. Azura gratefully accepted his help and half-walked, walk-stumbled to the chamber they had just been residing in. Already, the Vallite corpses had dissipated into water, but Azura could see, faintly, at the far end of the chamber, three bodies.

"We have to find him," she said suddenly.

Gunter blinked. "Wait, what? Who? Corrin?"

"Yes," she said. "We _have_ to find him. He's the keystone to this whole war. We can't do this without him." Azura stared up into Gunter's gray eyes. "If we can't find him, we might as well surrender. Anankos wouldn't dare kill him, not yet at least. We can use this grace period to spread out and try and search for him."

Kaden coughed. "Yeah, about that."

The kitsune looked terrible. Despite him being at the edges of the battle, his fur was matted with blood and his coat was torn. "We can't find him, not in this…" he gestured towards the three corpses, "…mess. The only way we're going to find him is if he comes to us. We can't find a way out, and I don't know which corridor is the right one."

Ryoma limped towards them. "Seconded," the samurai said. "We can't spread out, it'll be too easy for us to get separated. Our only option is to stay here and hope Corrin finds his way back to us."

Azura nodded. "No, he won't simply find his way back to us," she said firmly. "He _will_ find his way back to us."

Gunter coughed into his hand. "Ahem, but that still doesn't explain how he's going to find us, and how we're going to find our way out of here."

Azura snapped her fingers as an idea popped into existence in her head. "My song!" she said.

Gunter looked confused. "How...is a song going to help us here? I doubt most of us will be able to be cheered up so easily, and besides, wouldn't that attract too much att—"

"Gunter, a group of Vallites just showed up and tried to kill us!" Xander said, "I don't think we need to worry about sneaking around anymore. Ryoma's right. Azura knows a…truly remarkable song, the likes of which no one has ever heard before. Only Corrin, the rest of the royal siblings, and I are familiar with this song. I'm sure that Corrin will be able to find us if we allow Azura to sing her song."

Gunter frowned. "But…what's so special about this song?"

Xander's mouth tightened into a strained smile. "You'll see. Azura—" he turned towards the songstress, who snapped her eyes open. "—you know what you have to do."

Azura nodded and closed her eyes as she tried to remember the age-old lyrics.

" _Sing with me, a song of silence and blood…_

 _The rain falls, but can't wash away the mud…_

 _Within my ancient heart dwells madness and pride…_

 _Can no one, hear my cry?"_


	23. Chapter 23

Corrin stood between two doors: one white, one black. Corrin squinted and shielded his eyes with his forearm as a bright light emerged from behind the two portals.

" _I see you've found your way back here. So soon?"_ a voice echoed around him.

Corrin jumped at the sound and flew his hands down to his waist to grab Yato's hilt. To his surprise, his fingers brushed up against nothing except the cold steel of his armor. In front of him, the light _condensed_ …and revealed a patch of grass with a small campfire burning brightly in the middle. Sitting on the floor behind the campfire was…

" _You_ ," Corrin said.

" _Me,"_ the hooded man agreed. " _It's been a while, hasn't, Corrin?"_

Corrin stepped backwards in shock. " _How…how do you know my name?"_ he asked.

The hooded man chuckled. " _I know lots of things, Corrin. Trust me, your name is probably one of the lesser concepts I learned during my time here."_ As if to emphasize his point, the hooded man spread his arms out and gestured to everything around him.

" _And…where…is here, exactly?"_ Corrin asked slowly. " _What is this place? Who are you? What's behind those doors?"_

The man chuckled again and raised his hand, as in a mock surrender. " _Slow down, my boy,"_ he said. " _As much as I wish I could answer all of these questions, I cannot."_

" _And why's that?"_ Corrin asked, a bit irritated.

The man looked at him, and Corrin felt a shiver run down his spine as he gazed into the shadows of the man's face. There was…a power, residing within what aged lines were visible out from beneath the hood.

" _Because, my child, if you ever live to an age as great or equal to mine, you will understand that having the knowledge about future events will often do nothing except accelerate that fate towards you,"_ the man said sternly. " _Such is the whims of the cosmic forces. If they decide that a kingdom will fall in a century, that kingdom_ will _fall by that time. Nothing the king or people can do to stop it, do you understand?"_

Corrin nodded silently.

" _Good,"_ the man breathed. " _I'm glad you understand why I can't tell you anything. To put it simply, I cannot. Not unless you have a death sentence for yourself or those around you."_

Corrin must have looked crestfallen, because the man's voice softened as he said, " _That being said, I'm feeling particularly generous today, so I guess I can answer at least one of your questions. Maybe even two, but no more than two."_

Corrin eyed the man suspiciously as he sat in front of him, on the other side of the campfire. The man smiled and spread his arms in a welcoming gesture.

" _Please, make yourself comfortable,"_ he said kindly.

Corrin stared deep into fire and absent-mindedly rubbed the soles of his bare feet. It wasn't that he wasn't used to the long, barefoot marches during the war to unite Hoshido and Nohr, it was simply that he felt…tired; the kind of tired that seeped into one's bones and gnawed at his drive and motivation.

" _Here."_ The figure procured a bowl of soup and shoved it into his hands. Corrin cautiously took the wooden bowl and sniffed it curiously. Despite the relatively acrid scent, Corrin could find nothing out of the ordinary with the broth, so he cautiously brought the bowl to his lips and took a sip.

Almost immediately, Corrin gagged, and thrust the bowl away from him. The contents of the soup splashed onto the grass, whereupon it soaked into the earth. The hooded figure chuckled.

" _I take it it's not to your liking?"_

Corrin gagged but managed to force it down. Corrin forced himself to nod, despite every part of his body screaming " _no!_ " The figure chuckled again and prodded the fire with a stick.

" _Don't worry about it. It took me a while to get used to it too. Turns out, whatever's in that soup keeps you alive pretty well."_

True to his words, Corrin felt the fatigue in his bones slowly seep out of him. After gagging for another few moments, Corrin finally managed to force down the last of the soup in is mouth.

" _You…say that like you're not human,"_ Corrin managed to say between breaths.

The figure shifted. " _Well, you're not exactly wrong, but you're not exactly right, either,"_ the figure responded.

Corrin opened his mouth but the figure interrupted him by raising a finger. " _Remember what I said about questions whose answers will do nothing except bring your end closer towards you? Any questions regarding me, my past, or this…place falls under that category."_

" _Then_ can _I ask you, then?"_ Corrin asked, irritated now. " _If I can't ask you who you are, or what this place is, then why even bother offering me the opportunity to ask you anything?"_

The figure shifted again and pointed towards the two doors. " _You could ask me about those doors. I never said you couldn't ask me anything related to them."_

" _You never said anything about that,"_ Corrin objected.

The figure looked up at him, a wry smile tugging at his lips. " _Did I not? Well then, you can ask me about those doors."_

Corrin couldn't stop himself from cracking a small smile. " _Fine then. What's behind those doors?"_ he asked.

The figure stayed silent but rose and snapped his fingers. On the doors, two pictures appeared, one on each door, and moved silently. On the black door, two swords, one of which vaguely resembling Yato, the other resembling nothing much other than a common broadsword, appeared and crossed blades with each other. As Corrin watched, the sword resembling Yato cracked and shattered into pieces. A swarm of what looked like headstones and graves emerged from where the pieces fell.

On the white door, a silhouette of a woman appeared, and raised her hands over heads, as if preparing to burst into dance. As the woman moved, long trails of hair flowed behind her, moving as easily and fluidly as water.

Corrin stared at the two images for a moment longer before turning back towards the hooded man. " _I…I don't understand,"_ he said. " _How does this answer my question?"_

The man pointed towards the black door. " _This one is fairly easy to decipher._ _I count eighty-five graves. One of those belongs to you. Twenty-two of those belongs to children. The rest belongs to the rest of those with you, in the real world. As for the white door…well, that is certainly more subjective."_

The hooded figure turned towards the aforementioned door and thoughtfully stroked his chin, deep In thought. " _Yes…I see…I see. While the black door reveals what would happen if you chose to open it, this one is…well, I'm sure it would be a lot more effective if I let_ you _see for yourself. Take a look at the white door. Look at it closely…"_

Corrin squinted his eyes and gazed intensely at the portal, his eyes darting over all of its details. " _Look at it closely,"_ the man repeated.

" _I…I don't see anything,"_ Corrin said. Suddenly, his vision shifted and his eyes widened.

Everything about the silhouette, from its ankle-long hair, to its fluid and precis movements, every reminded Corrin about…

" _Azura?"_ Corrin breathed.

" _Is that what you see?"_ the figure asked. " _Interesting._ "

The figure walked over to Corrin and placed a hand on his shoulder. " _As you may or may not have guessed already, the white door leads to…whoever this Azura woman is…and the black door…"_

" _Leads to deaths of me and all my friends, I presume,"_ Corrin finished.

The man shrugged indifferently. " _Well, I mean, all men are mortal, and all of the people that you refer to as 'friends' are mortal, which means they'll die anyways, but yes. Choosing the black door will lead to a series of rather unfortunate events that will inevitably lead to the death of your entire company."_

Corrin clenched his fists. " _I don't believe you,"_ he growled. He doesn't believe it. He _can't_ believe it. If he accepted that fate, then he'll never be able to see Kaze again. Or Flora. Or Felicia. Or Silas. Or Azura. _Oh gods_. Never being able to see Azura? Ever again? The mere thought of it caused Corrin to shudder.

The figure rubbed his chin. " _Honestly, it doesn't matter if you choose the white door or the black door. Like I said, all of you are going to die one day. Reality is a harsh kingdom, with laws that brutally oppress its people. It doesn't care what people want. If reality wants something to happen, its going to happen."_

The figure pauses for breath. Then, another low chuckle. " _I suppose that's one way of looking at it. But I digress. If you wish to see your friends again, I suggest you choose the white door. I don't know if it necessarily means that everything will turn out fine and dandy in the long run, but I_ do _know that path is the only path where you and your friends will live on to see another day."_

Corrin had already taken several steps towards the aforementioned door before the figure called his name again. Corrin turned around to see the figure sitting back down behind the campfire, his back turned towards him.

" _Like I said, if you choose to go through the white door, you will be exposed to a future of pain and anguish, the likes of which you've faced before."_

Corrin couldn't help himself. He paused in front of the white door and laid a hand on the warm frame as he turned back towards the man. " _Well, in all honesty, I'm not that old anyways,"_ Corrin replied. " _If I do face such experiences, they'll probably be my first time anyways."_

The man chuckled as he prodded at the fire again. " _Well said,"_ he said. " _I've given you my take on the issue, and I've given you as much as a warning as I could. I wish I could say more, but there's always another day."_

He gestured towards the door. " _Now go. Beware the deeps, and do not walk on land where the ground grows black and brittle, and the air reeks of death and decay. Follow my advice, or do not. The path is yours to climb."_

Corrin frowned. Something about those last few words bothered him, but without further ado, he pushed the door open. As it had done before, a blinding white light emanated from behind the portal, and Corrin had to shield his eyes with his forearm as he pushed forward. Behind him, he could dimly hear the sound of the door slamming shut behind him. In front of him, the light grew brighter and brighter…

* * *

Corrin groaned and blearily opened his eyes as the stones beneath him came into focus. A dull roar seemed to echo all around him, and there was a constant throbbing in the back of his head.

Corrin reached up to touch where he felt the throbbing, and his hand came away bloodied. Corrin stared at his hand for a few seconds before shaking his head. He groaned and staggered as he pushed himself to his knees.

"Azura?"he called. "Ryoma? Xander?"

Save for the sound of his echoing voice and the flickering of the torches mounted on the wall beside him, there was no response. A sense of panic gripped Corrin, a panic of being forgotten, a panic of being stuck in this cave forever, but he forced himself to swallow it. There would be more time later for him to deal with his claustrophobia.

Corrin's hand scrabbled down his leg. To his everlasting relief, his fingers closed themselves around the familiarly warm hilt. He unsheathed the golden blade, grateful for the small amount of warm light emanating from the blade of the sword, and looked around the tunnel.

Unlike the tunnel he had been fighting in a few moments ago, this tunnel was far more elaborate, with aging mosaics and rotting weavings of some forgotten texts sprawled across the walls. A couple of iron padlocked gates stood behind him. The whole tunnel looked very much like a dungeon. Out of curiosity, Corrin limped over to one of the gates and examined it.

"Locked," he murmured as he let the padlock fall with a jarring _crash_. Corrin instantly regretted letting the lock fall so casually against the gate, as another gate at the end of the corridor suddenly burst open, brushing aside cobwebs and years of dirt and grime.

Three Vallite soldiers burst out of the open portal, their weapons glinting menacingly in the torch light as they lowered their spears and charged towards him. Corrin adjusted his grip on Yato as he heard a few shuffling noises behind him, which told him that more Vallites had arrived.

Sure enough, when Corrin spared a split second to check behind him, four more Vallites had risen out of the muddy puddles of water resting on the floor and were advancing towards him. Corrin felt the throbbing in his head worsen as he transformed his right arm into a scythe-like blade.

" _That's enough."_

Without warning, the groups of Vallites suddenly went limp and fell forward, face-first, onto the ground as they dissolved into water, their weapons clattering noisily to the ground.

Corrin blinked in surprise as he watched the puddles of water slowly spread out on the gritty floor. As he watched, the pools of water slowly congealed to form one larger puddle, whereupon a blue mist appeared. The mist swirled around and around, rising upwards.

Corrin warily took a step backwards, and then another, and then another. Whatever the mist was, he didn't know what it was, and he didn't want to deal with it. Just as he tried to take another step back, the mist exploded outwards, enveloping the entire corridor.

Corrin coughed and waved his hand in front of his mouth as he peered forward into the depths, preparing himself for whatever enemy would undoubtedly appear to challenge him. Corrin's eyes widened in surprise as he saw a woman standing before him, her hands clasped in front of her stomach as if she was deep in prayer. With a sigh, the woman opened her eyes and turned around, towards Corrin.

Corrin's eyes managed to widen even further as he took in the serene expression on the woman's face, the long black hair tied neatly into a ponytail, the—

"M-mikoto?" Corrin stammered. "Mother?"

"It's so wonderful to see you again, Corrin," Queen Mikoto said. "I could not have been happier."

* * *

"… _Not day nor night, wrong nor right_

 _For truth and p-piece—"_

Azura's voice wavered a split second before she gasped and fell to her knees, her vision flickering and turning various shades of blue. Ryoma was instantly kneeling behind her, his hand on her back.

"Azura! Are you alright?" he asked. His voice sounded tinny and faraway.

Azura coughed, and specks of water splattered onto the ground beneath her palms. _So soon? I've barely been singing for more than a few minutes._ She pressed a palm to her chest and slightly lifted the hem of her dress away from her skin to see the familiar blotches of purple glowing phantoms reeling across her skin.

"Azura! Are you alright?" Ryoma asked again.

Azura struggled to keep her voice level as she nodded. "I-I'm fine," she replied, her voice quavering as she tried to resist yelping in pain as the all-too-familiar agony spread throughout her body. "I'm…just feeling really tired. Do...do we have any food?"

As Ryoma and Xander rifled through their packs, Azura tried to discreetly cover a particularly large spot on her leg by covering it with her dress' hemline. As she did so, she noticed more splotches scattered on her arm, though they were much smaller. As she watched, the phantom energies faded away, leaving smooth, relatively unblemished skin.

"What was that, Azura?" Leo asked.

Azura froze mid-bite. "What was what?" she asked innocently, swallowing the piece of bread in her mouth.

"That purple splotch thing on your leg and arms a second ago. What was that?"

Azura froze, her mind racing. "Nothing," she said.

Leo frowned. "Are you sure? I'm pretty sure I saw something—"

Azura blew a strand of hair out of her face as she knelt and looked up at Leo. "Please, Leo, I would r-really like to not talk about it."

Leo opened his mouth to object further, but after a moment's pause, decided against it. "Alright, Azura. If you really—"

"Milord, if I may interject," Gunter interrupted, "from what I've seen from Lady Azura in the time I've known her, I've noticed that she has a knack for keeping secrets from others. Of course, keeping such a secret like Valla from the rest of us was understandable, considering the curse placed on its name, but how do we know she's not keeping any more secrets from us?"

Azura frowned. "W-wait, what do you mean—"

"For all we know, Lady Azura could be a spy for the Vallites! There has been a few times where she's disappeared into the night with no explanation, only to mysteriously reappear in the morning," Gunter continued.

Xander crossed his arms sternly. "Now hold on, Gunter—"

"And that's not all!" Gunter exclaimed. "From what I've observed, and based on what she told us, only those of Vallite blood can travel to and from Valla freely. And through her own admission that was a Vallite princess, how do we know we can trust her?"

"T-that's hardly a f-fair accusation…" Sakura mumbled.

"What if she was secretly in league with this…this Anankos from the very beginning? It's perfect, isn't? Luring the crown princes and royal family from both Hoshido and Nohr together, only for your hermaster to destroy us all! Again, how do we know we can trust her?"

"That's enough, Gunter!" Xander shouted. "I don't know where you got this idea from, and I _highly_ doubt that Azura's actively working with Anankos. For one thing, unless Azura is secretly trained in the art of espionage—no offense, Azura—"

"None taken," she said flatly.

"—I doubt she's able to unite both Hoshido and Nohr—"

"Corrin did most of that," she mumbled.

"—and win over Corrin!" Xander shouted. "If Corrin trusts her, so shall I."

Xander glared at Gunter. "I understand that, as a retainer of Nohr, you've sworn fealty to Corrin, and that you are honor-bound to defend and support him as if he was your own son, but your loyalties also extend to that of your country and crown. By accusing Azura of being a traitor, you are directly accusing a member of both the Hoshidan and Nohrian royal family a traitor to her countries!"

Gunter looked like some mad doctor had scooped out the inside of her cheeks as he pursed his lips and bowed deeply, first towards Xander, then towards Azura.

"My apologies, milord," he said. "Please, forgive an old man for being to paranoid about matters regarding his liege. I see that my blind loyalty to Lord Corrin has also blinded me to the presence and trustworthiness of his other…acquaintances. Namely you, milady." He nodded towards Azura.

"I-it's all right," Azura said, clenching the hem of her dress as another wave of pain wracked through her body. It was all she could do to not crumple to her knees and cry. "I-I can see why you would think that, and I understand t-that you're loyal to none other than Corrin."

"Wait, hold on a second," Ryoma interjected.

Azura ignored him and continued to stare at Gunter, who was still kneeling on the floor before her. "I know you want to protect Corrin, and he feels the same way. He's told me multiple times about how you've been like a father to him, and it's only natural that you want to protect him."

At those words, Gunter drew a long, rattling breath, and looked up at Azura, his eyes suspiciously brighter than usual in the gloomy tunnel. "He…he really feels that way?"

Azura nodded, though she kept her face impassive. Another wave of pain, less severe, passed through her. She clenched her hands tighter around the hem of her dress.

"Yes," she replied. "I know you want to protect him, but if you're too concerned about his safety…well, there was a reason why Garon had him locked up in the Northern Fortress for so long, twisted as it may be."

Gunter nodded and stood up. He bowed again and twisted his hand over his breast in some sort of salute. "I understand, milady. I'm sorry. I was wrong to accuse you in such a way, and I beg for both yours, and Lord Xander's forgiveness."

"No need," the Nohrian prince replied, though his face remained grim as he looked around the tunnel, his eyes bright and alert. "Everything I wanted to say to you, Azura just did, so there's no need for you to hear them twice. I only hope that you remember the oaths you've sworn to the Nohrian throne."

"Hold on a second," Ryoma repeated. "You're as much as one of my siblings as the rest of my family, Azura, but…but did anything Gunter say about you, about you sneaking off into Valla…is any of it true?"

Azura frowned. "…No…what makes you ask? I thought I made it clear that I have no intentions of ever helping or working for Anankos willingly."

Ryoma absently mindedly undid the straps holding the armor on his right forearm and redid them. For the brief second that his skin was visible, Azura could see a long, thin scar, wrapping itself around the entirety of Ryoma's wrist. Azura knew instantly what he was talking about.

"I mean, besides caution, I remember one day, in the astral plane, I believe it was a couple days after my hand was…reattached, I decided to take a nighttime stroll and you so happened to be out that night too," Ryoma said. Where were you going that night?"

Azura froze, her mind racing. "Er, well, I mean, I _have_ crossed into Valla once or twice during the preparations for this invasion, but I swear, I—"

Azura knew instantly that she had made a mistake. Saizo sidled up behind Ryoma and surreptitiously slid a curved iron dagger out from under a patch of armor.

"Wait, so you _do_ admit that you've been sneaking off to Valla?" Saizo hissed.

Azura pursed her lips. "W-wait, no, you didn't let me finish—"

"But you _have_ gone into Valla, without telling anyone?" the ninja repeated.

Azura stammered for a response, but no words passed her lips. Ryoma shook his head disappointingly. "Azura, don't lie to us. We're your family, but having you lie about where you sneak off to in the middle of the night isn't going to make us believe you more. Tell us the truth, did you ever sneak off to Valla?"

Azura took a step backwards voluntarily and froze when she felt her back press up against Kagero, who firmly clamped her hands around Azura's arm. Azura looked down at her arms for a second and tried to wrestle them free.

"Let go of me! Let go!"

Xander frowned. "Lord Ryoma, perhaps this isn't the best—"

Ryoma interrupted him with a raise of his. "You're right, Xander," he sighed. "It's been…quite the day, and all of our nerves are frayed." He turned towards Kagero.

"Let her go."

Kagero reluctantly released Azura's arm before retreating durifully behind Ryoma, her arms at her back and her face nothing more than a stone mask. On the other hand, Saizo scowled towards her, the scar on his blinded eye flexing as he glared at her.

"I'm sorry, Azura," Ryoma apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you like that, but I'm just feeling a little… _predisposed_ towards anything that has to do with Valla, especially after Scarlet. I feel that any accusations of a traitor, no matter how small, should be taken into consideration. That being said, I find it hard to believe that you would be the one to betray us, Azura, but that doesn't mean there's nobody here that wouldn't betray us."

Azura sighed. "It's fine, honestly," she said. "Trust me, I'm used to these sorts of accusations."

Ryoma nodded. "It's…just, you know…after what happened to Scarlet, we can never be too careful. We already lost one friend this week. I couldn't bear it if we were to lose another."

"Well, that's war for you, Lord Ryoma," Leo said grimly. "Not everyone makes it back, but everyone's willing to put their lives on the line for their beliefs."

"That's where all of you are wrong!" a voice echoed around them.

As one, everyone drew their weapons and turned around. At the far end of the tunnel, shrouded in darkness, stood a lone figure. Ryoma and Xander both simultaneously drew their blades as Takumi conjured an arrow and aimed it at the figure. Leo opened Bryhildr and flipped to a specific page, where upon he started chanting words in a voice too deep and convoluted for Azura to understand.

As the figure stepped forward into the torchlight, Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura gasped. Ryoma, however, simply frowned, his eyebrows furrowing together as he raised Rajinto in a defensive position.

"You!" Ryoma shouted, his voice filled with fury.

Though it was difficult to see the figure's face in the gloom, Azura could just barely make out a flash of teeth as the figure grinned. The figure was easily taller than her, and possibly even larger than Ryoma. There was something about the figure, the way he confidently strode towards her, that bothered her.

"Me," the figure agreed. It was then that Azura recognized him.

"You were there!" she blurted out. Xander and Lao looked at her in confusion. She ignored them and continued to train her gaze on the figure striding towards him.

"What are you talking about?" Xander asked. "How do you know him?"

"He was there, on the day Corrin transformed into a dragon for the first time," Azura explained. "He was the one who killed Queen Mikoto and sparked the war between Hoshido and Nohr!"

"I'm also the one responsible for destroying Cyrkensia," the figure added. "My master was hoping that by destroying the city, it would spur Hoshido and Nohr into further fighting. I see now that there were…a few loose ends I should've taken of beforehand." At those words, the hooded figure stared pointedly towards Azura.

"My master was…rather displeased with my failure, and so I was punished…severely. But make no mistake!" The figure silently drew a familiar-looking scabbard from within the folds of his robes. "Lord Anankos has given me the position of dealing with your pitiful group of soldiers that you call an army, with the condition that I will only face you in honest combat once Arete has fallen!"

Xander's eyes narrowed. "Is that so…" he murmured. Raising Siegfried, he twirled it around him and pointed it directly at the figure, dark waves of energy rippling down the course of the blade.

"If that's the case, the enemy of my ally is therefore my enemy as well!" he shouted. "You'll pay for the destruction of Cyrkensia. Do you know how many innocent people died in your attack? Face the crown prince of both Hoshido and Nohr, see how that tastes for an 'honest fight!'"

The figure chuckled and drew his katana out of its sheath. The crinkle on Xander's forehead deepened as Ryoma adjusted his grip on Rajinto's hilt, his palms slippery from sweat. Dark, purple electricity crackled down the length of the figure's katana as he, in one fluid motion, tore the cloak covering himself off his body, revealing—

"Father?" Ryoma blurted. Xander threw a look of disbelief in his direction, but slowly lowered Siegfried to the ground in shock as he took in the sight of the former Hoshidan King standing before them.

Behind Azura, Takumi, Hinoka, and Sakura all gasped, or in the case of Takumi, accidentally released his arrow so that it cascaded past the swordmaster's face, the emerald light revealing purple eyes in place of natural brown.

Sumeragi threw back his head and laughed. "Do you know how amazing this feels? Not only have I been given the opportunity to fight my own children, but also the son of the man who struck me down so dishonestly! My only wish was that I could fight Corrin, but I'm afraid Mikoto has already claimed him for her own."

Azura's knuckles whitened as she tightened her grip on her naginta. "Corrin's…still alive?"

Sumeragi cocked an eyebrow. "I see he's not with you. No matter! His strength was insignificant compared to the might of the rest of his siblings."

"You take that back!" Hinoka growled. "Corrin's the strongest one out of all of us!"

"Yeah!" Elise jeered. "You're probably happy to not see him here because you know he's going to be the one to kick your a—"

Sumeragi ignored the Nohrian princess and turned towards Ryoma. "Well done, Ryoma. My eldest son. You've been everything I had hoped you would be." He gestured grandly to Ryoma. "Look at how strong you've become! Look at how strong you must've been to fight your way here, past Arete, past Mikoto's vanguard, only to face me in combat! This shall be a glorious battle!"

Ryoma sneered as he raised Raijinto into a defensive position. "I don't care how many compliments you lavish on me. I don't care If you think I'm your son, because _you're_ not my father. My father…was a respectable man. A just king. A peerless samurai. You are just a pale imitation of him! You, fueled by your lust for battle, your lust for glory, your hatred of Nohr, are _not that man_."

Sumeragi sneered. "If your father is dead, how is it he's standing before you? If your father was dead, how is it that I possess Rajinto?"

Ryoma's eyes flicked downward for a split second to notice his opponent's weapon. Sure enough, it was Raijinto, but unlike the _real_ Raijinto, there was…something a bit off. Purple where the gold should've been, black where the white should've been. Unlike Raijinto's trademark blue lightning, _this_ Raijinto's was purple.

Ryoma felt an odd twisting sensation in his gut as he realized that the purple of the electricity crackling across it was the very same color of the fell orbs that danced within his father's cold, dead eyes.

Ryoma did not reply but raised Raijinto high over his head, his eyes closing in concentration as he willed the power within him to pour into the blade. Sumeragi did the same.

"Azura!" he called.

Azura flinched, her eyes darting between Sumeragi and Ryoma. "Yes?" she asked.

"When we start fighting, lead the others away. Finish this without me."

" _What?_ " Takumi blurted. "You must be mad!"

"Milord," Saizo said urgently. "Please, allow us to deal with this craven. You needn't risk your life like this!"

"Enough, Saizo" Ryoma said gently. He calmly opened his eyes. "This is the art of Hoshidan warfare. By directly confronting me and challenging me to a duel, I am honor bound by the most ancient of Hoshidan traditions to accept the duel. If I do not accept, I will bring nothing but shame onto the Hoshidan royal family. My real father would have never refused this offer, not because he was eager for battle, but because he would understand the shame it would bring him if he were to decline."

Saizo made a choked sound in the back of his throat as Kagero pulled out a curved iron dagger out from some flaps of clothing. "With all due respect, milord, I'm afraid that nothing will change our mind on this. If you punish us later for this disobedience…"

"Well, at least you'll be able to punish us," Saizo finished.

Ryoma nodded gravely. "Very well then." He turned towards Sumeragi, who was watching the three of them with interest. "Do you accept these new…parameters? Will you allow my retainers to fight alongside with me?"

Azura stepped forward, shocked. "Ryoma, no!" she exclaimed. "We _need_ you. You can't just throw your life away like this!"

To her surprise, instead of Takumi or Hinoka grabbing her arm and pulling her back, it was instead Xander and Leo. She wrestled with them for a moment. "What are you—"

"You can't, Azura," Leo said simply, stony-faced. "It's not our place to interfere."

"You can't just say that!" she bit back. "Ryoma's your brother as much as he's Corrin!"

Xander sighed unhappily. "I know, Azura, and trust me, this hurts me just as much as it hurts you, but we can't interfere. We just can't."

"Why not?" she asked.

Leo and Xander shook their head. "Its…complicated," Xander said slowly. "Nohrians hate everything about Hoshido, save for one thing: duels. Hoshidan duels are one of the few things almost all Nohrians will respect, if not out of respect, perhaps out of fear."

Sumeragi laughed a deep belly laugh. "Right you are, Nohrian prince! Hoshidan duels are an ancient and primal part of our history, and we _don't_ take insults during such duels lightly."

Sumeragi tapped his chin thoughtfully as he turned towards Ryoma. "As for allowing you to fight with your retainers, fine!" he said after a moment's deliberation. "But only if you allow _my_ retainers to fight with me!"

Ryoma frowned. "What retainers?" he asked.

Sumeragi said nothing but made an odd, rising gesture with his free hand. Behind him, two dark patches of water appeared, and two people, a man and a woman, rose out from them. The man was dressed in traditional kendo armor, and save for his blank purple eyes, nothing could be seen of his face. The woman was clothed in flowing green kimono robes, of which Ryoma was sure contained several, if not dozens, of knives, poisons, and other nefarious weapons.

"This…" Sumeragi gestured towards the man, "is Shitsuji, and this—" he gestured towards the woman, "is Otome. Oteme used to take care of you, Ryoma, didn't you know? Since Shitsuji served as my enforcer and right-hand man, you will find yourself hard pressed to find another swordsman as dedicated and talented as him in the ranks of Lord Anankos' army."

The samurai silently nodded at the compliment. "Oteme, on the other hand," Sumeragi continued, "used to serve as my spymaster. She is a master of deception and espionage, and I'm afraid she will be the worst of everone's problems—save for me, of course."

Ryoma nodded. "Very well then!" he proclaimed. "Let us fight!"

And with those words, Saizo and Kagero rushed forwards, as did Oteme and Shitsuji. Ryoma and Sumeragi both crouched down, and in a motion too fast for any other besides themselves to see, they withdrew their weapons from their sheaths and rushed towards each other in a blur of red, gold, purple and white.

A hoarse shout emanated from both Ryoma's and Sumeragi's throats as they charged towards each other, electricity wracking and crackling all around them. With a deafening _clash_ , their swords crashed into each other, driblets of liquid electricity dripping slowly onto the ground, where they sizzled and sparked.

* * *

"It's so wonderful to see you again, Corrin. I could not have been happier."

"You've already said that" Corrin said coldly. "If you think some cheap trick is going to fool me, you're sorely mistaken."

"Oh? And why's that?" Mikoto asked.

Corrin blinked in surprise. "I—you don't know?" he spluttered. "Azura told me all about how Anankos has a nasty habit of sending out servants who bear a passing resemblance to those close to them."

"Oh, I see…" Mikoto said, saddened. She took a step closer to Corrin. "But do you really not believe that it's me? Your mother? Even if I am a puppet of Anankos, my spirit, at the very least, remains my own."

Corrin stepped back and flicked Yato upwards to her throat. "Back off!" he growled. "I won't be fooled by you! You're not my mother—you're just some soulless puppet!"

Mikoto's eyes grew suspiciously bright as she took another step towards him, her arms spread wide. "Please, Corrin, don't say such things. You have no idea how much I've missed you. I never wanted to leave you alone when I died, but I had no choice. Please—"

Mikoto's hair was blown out of her face as Corrin transformed one of his arms into a spear-like lance and thrust it at her. Right before fang met skin, the tip of the lance stopped less than a centimeter away from Mikoto's nose. Her eyes went cross-eyed as she stared at the tip, sharper than any sword in the world, trembling ever so slightly. She staggered backwards, her hand pressed to her chest as she tried to comprehend what happened.

"You…you didn't block my attack?" Corrin asked, staring blankly at her, his voice slightly echoing as a result of the draconic head resting on top of his shoulders. "Why didn't you? You were supposed to!"

Mikoto gently pushed the tip of Corrin's lance-arm away from her face with a single finger. "Because," she said. "Even if you don't believe anything I say—even if you don't believe me—I will always believe in you, Corrin."

A flash of light briefly illuminated the corridor as Corrin's normal head reappeared on top of his neck, the red eyes full of confusion and looking uncharacteristically puzzled. "B-but that's impossible!" he spluttered. "There's no way—are you _truly_ my mother?"

Mikoto nodded sadly. "I am," she said simply.

"But you're under Anankos' control!" Corrin objected.

"Like I said, Corrin, even though the only reason I am allowed to live and talk to you again is because Anankos is using me as a puppet, my spirit remains my own, at least," Mikoto patiently explained.

Corrin slowly transformed his arm back into his normal form. "I…believe you," he said slowly, after a moment's hesitation. "But don't think that you'll be able to stab me in the back," he added on. "I've been betrayed too many times these past few months."

"I understand," Mikoto said simply. She beckoned towards him with a single finger.

"Corrin, there is something I must tell you," she whispered.

Corrin did not move but slightly pricked his ears up. Mikoto said and raised her hands to show that they were empty, the universal sign for "Look, I'm not carrying a blatantly obvious weapon."

Corrin cautiously sidled over to her, his hand resting on Yato's pommel. "Yes?" he asked.

Mikoto pointed down the corridor. "Right now, Azura and Ryoma are fighting Sumeragi, your father. Sumeragi planned to pull you away from the rest of your group so that I could kill you. Obviously, I'm not planning on doing that, but all it means for you is that the rest of your party is in grave danger. Sumeragi has…changed since I've last seen him. The _real_ him, not the puppet Anankos is currently forcing to duel with Ryoma. Sumeragi's pride and hunger for glory will force him to challenge Ryoma to an honorable duel. Should he somehow manage to best him, Sumeragi will undoubtedly turn his attention on the rest of your party."

"Well, I can't just let that happen!" Corrin objected. "I have to find my way back to them! Where do I go?"

Mikoto smiled. "I knew you would say that, but first, there are a few things you have to understand first. Hoshidan duels are…rather…stubborn, at times. Even Nohrians knew better to interrupt a duel between two Hoshidan samurai, but since you have no choice _but_ to interrupt Ryoma and Sumeragi, expect a bit of backlash from your father. While by no means is Ryoma is the inferior of the two, but Sumeragi's force on the battlefield when angered is not to be underestimated. You'll have to simultaneously help Ryoma finish Sumeragi while also making sure Ryoma and Sumeragi don't…push you away, for lack of a better term."

Corrin snorted. "Sounds easy enough."

Mikoto shook her head gravely. "Oh no," she murmured. "I know you spent most of your childhood in Nohr, and I don't blame you for that, but like I said, Hoshidan duels are an ancient art that Nohrians are loathe to disrespect. Whether it's because it eliminates another Hoshidan warrior, or simply because they truly appreciate the dedication and determination behind it, I do not know. All I know is that Prince Xander, Prince Leo, and the rest of your party with Nohrian blood will be reluctant to help you so easily."

"Alright then," Corrin nodded. "I understand. Where do I go to find them?"

"One last thing," Mikoto murmured sharply. "The catacombs beneath Castle Gyges can span for dozens of miles, if not hundreds. If I'm correct, you and your party are actually not that far away from the entrance leading up to the castle, but there is a set of doors in a dungeon that you'll have to pass through."

"Is there anything I need to be careful of?" Corrin asked.

Mikoto nodded. "Yes, well, since I never planned on killing you or your friends off, I still needed to make a… _convincing_ trap. Those doors are lined with several traps, including spikes, poison spikes, spikes that come out of the ceilings, stone statues that can crush anyone unfortunate to walk underneath them, and many, many others."

"All this? For us?" Corrin asked skeptically.

Mikoto shrugged. "Well, I had to make it look convincing, didn't I? Either way, each set of doors will feature two different doors, one blue, one red. The blue one will lead into another dungeon with two doors, also red and blue. If you go into _that_ room's blue door, it'll take you to another room with another pair of doors, also red and blue. If you take _that_ room's blue door, it should lead you into the castle, where you'll meet Anankos last, most trusted servant."

"What about the red doors?" Corrin asked.

"Oh, those doors contain the things I just mentioned. Spikes…poison spikes…animated statues…those sorts of things."

"…Right…" Corrin said skeptically. "And so we're only supposed to choose the blue doors."

Mikoto nodded. "Yes, precisely."

"Wait, then what about this 'last, most trusted servant?' Who is it? Can you help us?"

Mikoto shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said. "I don't know who it is. I've only met him once, and even then, I could find nothing of him. Apparently, _this_ servant's mission was far more dangerous than the rest, since they were responsible for infiltrating your group and provide Anankos with a constant stream of information."

"So you mean is…that Anankos planted a spy somewhere in my army?"

"Not just in your army, but in _your_ personal elite guard. Who, I cannot say, but all I can say is that you'll need to be careful about who you trust from now on. You're nearing the end of your journey, I can feel it, which means this spy can feel it too. They'll most likely try to spring the trap soon."

Corrin frowned. "I can't just go around and accuse everyone of being a spy!" he objected. "I _trust_ each and everyone of them—I can't randomly walk up and call them out like that!"

"Nor did I believe such a simple method would work," Mikoto said. "No, this spy has been in your group much longer than the others. They'll most likely be able to avoid any accusatory claims you send their way."

Corrin opened his mouth to object, but the earth around them suddenly shook, as if a great weight had dropped onto the ground. Mikoto and Corrin nervously looked up. Save for a few clouds of dust drifting down form the ceiling, nothing seemed to collapse. In the distance, Corrin could faintly hear the sounds of clanging metal, shouting, and singing.

Corrin's ears pricked up. "Do you hear that?" he asked.

When Mikoto did not answer, Corrin turned around. To his shock, Mikoto was fading away. She looked down at her hands before looking back up to Corrin. She grasped him by the shoulders and pulled him into a tight hug.

"M-mother?"

"Please, don't forget what I said," she whispered into his ear. "Open only the blue doors, and defeat Anankos for me, if nothing else. Perhaps, one day, we could be together again."

Just as she finished speaking, Mikoto faded away completely, leaving nothing but a single hair ornament, shaped like a butterfly. Corrin looked at it in his hand for a second before that too faded away. He clenched his hands over the empty air as he looked up, the edges of his vision burning with anger and sorrow.

"Don't worry…mother. I will—I promise."


	24. Chapter 24

"Ryoma!" Sakura screamed as a red blur flew through the air.

All of the breath in Ryoma's body left him in one _whuff_ as his back slammed into the stone wall. For a moment, he thought his spine was broken, but when his back screamed in agony when he clambered out of the crater, he knew his punishment was far from over.

"Is that all you've got, son?" Sumeragi shouted mockingly from across the room. "I've met children who've put up a better fight!"

Ryoma scowled as he planted the tip of Raijinto beside him. Using the weapon, he pushed himself to his feet. He spared a moment to shoot a glare at his opponent striding towards him. Sumeragi ran his fingers along the length of his katana menacingly as he slowly strode towards him. Behind him, partially covered in debris and shadows, Saizo and Kagero lay unconscious, puddles of water that had once been Sumeragi's retainers spreading out beneath them. Saizo had been incapacitated by a poison needle full of some unholy poison thrown by that devil woman, but not before burying a dagger in Shitsuji's eye. Kagero also managed to put down Otome , but was knocked out of the fight altogether by the same shockwave that had thrown Ryoma across the room.

Throughout the fight, Ryoma was dimly aware of the sound of Azura's voice singing, urging him on. He wasn't sure what magic was in her songs, but for some reason, he felt… _invigorated._

"Who…would…be so petty as to pick a fight with a child?" Ryoma retorted, panting.

Sumeragi shook his head, a grin on his face, "So you _do_ have some fight in you. I like it!"

With a deafening yell, he leapt straight up into the air and hurled towards Ryoma, his sword a purple blur in the air as it soared towards him. Ryoma's eyes widened a split second before he threw himself out of the way. Sumeragi crashed into the place where Ryoma had occupied split second before as he picked himself out of the debris.

He flicked a scrap of rubble off his shoulders as he glared at Ryoma. Ryoma narrowed his eyes as he edged around him. Sumeragi did the same, his katana hanging loosely as his side while Ryoma kept Raijinto rigid in front of him, blue electricity crackling down the length of the weapon.

The fight was going poorly, that much was obvious. They've barely been fighting for more than a few minutes, and already, Saizo and Kagero were out. Despite Azura's song rejuvenating him, Ryoma could start to feel the all-too-familiar weariness in his bones. If he didn't end the duel soon, he would never be the one to end it.

That wasn't to say that he's been entirely unsuccessful so far, however. In the course of the duel, Ryoma managed to catch Sumeragi on the wrist after a failed attack and managed to slice all the way through the cuff of his kote and a layer of muscle to the bone beneath. While he failed to sever any important muscles, the wound seemed to cause Sumeragi a great deal of pain, plus the times that blood seeped into his kote and his hand spasming as a result of the severed muscles caused him to throw off a few attacks that would have ordinarily ended the duel right then and there.

Ryoma took a nick to his right calf, a result of him overextending, and then—when Sumeragi was still recovering from that same attack—Ryoma raised his other foot and stomped down as hard as he could on Sumeragi's foot. Sumeragi howled in pain and jumped back on one foot. Ryoma manage to catch him again on his wrist, but this time failed to deal any real damage as Raijinto skittered off Sumeragi's greaves.

Ryoma followed, brutally swinging Raijinto towards Sumeragi in an attempt to batter him into the ground, but despite his bruised foot and hand injury, Sumeragi was able to defend himself with a reverse overhand grip, and soon, Ryoma found that he was the one who was hard-pressed to remain on his feet.

For a time, their armor somehow managed to resist the relentless pounding. Soon afterwards, however, Sumeragi managed to shatter Ryoma's dō and part of his right sode with a particularly heavy blow. Sumeragi blinked, surprised at the shards of armor flying past his face.

Ryoma used Sumeragi's hesitation to punish him with three powerful slashes with Raijinto. Sumeragi's eyes widened in shock as he fell backwards, blood and pieces of armor spurting outwards from his chest. He managed to catch himself with one hand as he collapsed to his knee, his breath raspy as he gasped for breath.

Ryoma rose and strode towards Sumeragi, who was still panting on the ground before him. He rose Raijinto in preparation of the death blow.

"Please…please don't," came the strangled rasp.

"Ryoma! Don't!" Hinoka shouted, her voice cracking. "We just got him back!"

Ryoma narrowed his eyes. "He's one of _them_!" he shouted back. "He tried to kill us! He tried to kill me! He tried to kill Corrin!"

"But he's our _father_!" Takumi shouted. "You can't just _kill_ him off like that! Give him a chance!"

"I can and I must!," Ryoma retorted. He turned towards Azura, Sakura, Hinoka, and Takumi. Sakura had their hands over their mouths, her eyes brimming with tears. Whether it was shock or horror, he was not sure. Takumi had his fists clenched while Hinoka stepped forward, her naginata in her hands. Azura looked on at the spectacle sadly, her golden eyes bright in the gloom.

"He's a threat to all of us," Ryoma explained. "We can't allow him to escape and report back to Anankos. Plus, he was probably the one who ki—"

Out of the corner of his eye, Ryoma just barely managed to catch Sumeragi's teeth gleaming as he gave him a sadistic grin and slashed towards him with his sword, which he somehow managed to reclaim without anyone noticing. Ryoma tried to block the attack, but was too slow. Takumi watched with horror, his eyes wide in shock, as Sumeragi's blade sank into Ryoma's midriff. Sakura and Hinoka screamed Ryoma's name and covered their eyes. Azura reached towards him.

Ryoma felt a cold pain as the serrated metal pierced his chest. His breath came hard. Ryoma knew instantly that the wound would be fatal, judging by the gouts of blood that were matting Sumeragi's bare chest. His blood.

Ryoma tried to get back up, to make one last final stand, but Sumeragi walked over to him and kicked him in the ribs. Hard. Ryoma coughed, and the action felt like it was splitting himself in half. That was a rib gone, maybe two. He tried to get up again, and flailed Raijinto weakly towards the general direction of Sumeragi, but Sumeragi deftly kicked the blade out of his hands and stomped on his face, breaking his nose.

"You were never worthy to fight me, _son_ ," Sumeragi said, spitting out the last word as if it was the worst insult he could think of. "You stride in here, so _nobly,_ and you kill _my_ retainers. What makes you think that you're worthy to sit on Hoshido's throne? Otome used to take _care_ of you! Shitsuji was the one who taught you how to properly care for your sword! How _dare_ you strike them down with such disrespect, ordering _ninjas—_ warriors known for dishonesty, values _against_ Hoshidan values—to kill them? As if they were nothing more than mere peasants before you?"

He could faintly hear his siblings screaming his name in the distance. He could barely make out blurs in his vision that were undoubtedly Xander, Camilla, Hinoka, Sakura and Leo charging towards Sumeragi. Sumeragi laughed maniacally and turned around as Ryoma heard screams and weapons clashing together echoing around the chamber.

He'd failed. _They_ failed. Ryoma spent what last few moments of consciousness to utter a silent apology to Sakura. To Hinoka. To Takumi and Azura. To Xander, Leo, Elise, Saizo, Kagero, and all the rest of Hoshido and Nohr. And finally, to Corrin.

 _I'm…so sorry…_

And then time and memory ceased for him.

* * *

Corrin panted as he sprinted down the tunnel, towards the sound of Azura's singing and the clashing of metal against metal. He had been running towards the sound of Azura's voice for more than at a full sprint for more than three minute now, and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. During his mad dash towards Azura's voice, he managed to somehow transformed into his draconic form, his metallic wings scraping against the sides of the corridor as he ran.

Irritated, Corrin willed them to become smaller. He'd never done something like that before, so he snorted in surprise as his vision suddenly jutted closer to the ground. Sniffing the ground beneath his hooves, Corrin confirmed his suspicions. He wasn't just closer to the ground, he was closer to the ground because he was _smaller_ than usual.

He had just entered a large room with a ridged, half-dome ceiling over fifteen feet high at its apex when the singing and sounds of fighting stopped. Save for a few rotting bookshelves, barrels, and stools, the room smelled empty. In front and beside him, Corrin sensed four near-identical archways. He skidded to a stop, snorting, his hooves clapping against the stone floor underneath him as he turned around, confused.

He looked around, his tail casually destroying a nearby bookshelf as he pawed the ground. Frustration and rage built up instead him. He was _so_ close. Why couldn't have Azura kept singing for a couple seconds longer? Was it really that hard?

Corrin shook his head as his human side urged him to calm down and to let him control his body. Reluctantly, Corrin let him. In a flash of light and smoke, Corrin found himself kneeling back on the ground, his bare feet slightly sore from running so far for so long. He blinked a couple of times until his vision readjusted to the darkness of the tunnel.

He walked over to the nearest archway and placed his hand on it as he tried to catch his breath. Besides the fact that he felt like he was dying inside from such a strenuous exercise, Corrin couldn't shake the _nervousness_ of his situation, being trapped underground.

Corrin wasn't afraid of a lot of things. He's faced monsters, fought his own brothers and sisters to the death before, and faced death in the face more times than he cared to count, and yet it was the thought being trapped _underground_ , for gods' sakes, that scared him the most and threatened to make his knees crumple beneath him.

Corrin pressed a hand to his chest as he felt himself start to hyperventilate. In the back of his mind, Corrin could feel his draconic counterpart scoff—or rather, what passed as scoffing in dragon.

 _It's alright,_ he told himself. _I've killed Faceless before. I've seen my own siblings almost die before. I've been nearly cut in half once or twice. Surely, I can handle a little panic attack, right? Right?_

Corrin stumbled and swore as the entire earth around him shook, as if a great weight had struck the ground, showering him with debris. In the distance, a bright light suddenly manifested out of the darkness and sped closer to him. As the light grew closer, Corrin could see that the light was actually one, large, _menacing_ orb full of orange eyes spiraling wildly in the darkness as it sped towards him. As the… _thing_ approached, all of the eyes suddenly swiveled and focused in one Corrin, coating him in a bright orange light. Corrin cautiously unsheathed Yato and held it defensively in front of him as he watched the orb flit towards him.

" _I AM…THE FORGOTTEN DRAGON,_ " a voice boomed in the darkness.

Corrin's eyes widened as he stepped back into the archway. "No way…" he murmured. "It can't be!"

" _THE BETRAYED KING, THE ENTOMBED GOD. IN THE NAME OF THE KING OF VALLA, I SENTENCE YOU TO DEATH!"_ the voice continued.

The orb shot towards Corrin, barely skimming past his arm. Corrin instantly dropped Yato and clutched at his arm as he felt a _burning_ and hissing sensation where the face had skimmed. Whatever self-restraint Corrin had left in him flexed and shattered as he turned and snatched up Yato before running away, his arms over his head as pieces of debris and rubble continued to pummel him. Normally, he would stand his ground and fight, but _normally_ , he wouldn't be stuck in an underground tunnel with the very earth trying to bury him alive and a demonic light chasing after him.

Corrin stumbled backwards and swore again, a bit more colorfully this time, as he ran headfirst into a wall. Rubbing his bruised shoulder, Corrin stepped back and looked around him.

Behind him, a pile of debris had fallen, blocking his path back into the chamber of archways, and thankfully, blocking the orb from reaching him. Corrin felt his sense of panic return as he watched one of the rocks tumble loose from the pile, revealing one blood-red orange eye peeking in between through the cracks. Corrin swore even more colorfully this time and instinctively transformed into his draconic form again as he rammed the wall in front of him with all his might.

To his surprise, the rock wall crumpled, sending him stumbling ungracefully into an even larger, better lit, and thankfully, a more spacious chamber where it looked like a crowd was gathered around a couple of swordsmen fighting each other. One of the swordsmen was laying prone to his left, a blue light pulsing weakly within the silhouette of his body.

Corrin, the crowd, and the fighters all froze as they looked at each other. For a moment, nobody moved, unsure of how to react. Corrin prowled around the chamber, his tail twitching nervously as he looked down at the swordsman in front of him. The figure took a step back shakily and twirled his sword.

With a slightly muffled-sounding yell, the figure brought his weapon down in a powerful overhead slash with a single hand onto one of Corrin's claws. Corrin reared and roared in pain as he felt the metallic skin breaching apart, exposing muscle and sinew into the dusty air. Corrin's tail instinctively lashed out from behind him and slapped the figure in the chest, throwing him across the room and into the wall, whereupon he fell limply to the floor.

In the corner of his eye, the prone figure suddenly twitched and spasm. Corrin's head snapped around to see two more figures—a female and male, judging by their scents—kneeling down beside the prone figure. The female was yelling something about electricity, and the male pumped his hands into the prone figure's chest as it spasmed again.

Corrin was about to prowl towards them, both out of curiosity and for the kill, when a wall of water suddenly erupted out of the ground in front of him. He snorted and swatted at the water irritatingly. He tried to back up, but the instant he felt his tail touch some sort of barrier behind him, he froze.

A single figure pushed the rest of the crowd aside as it strode towards him, an eerily familiar song resonating around the chamber. A faint memory resurfaced within Corrin's mind, a memory of a devastated plaza and a woman singing the exact same song.

As the figure strode towards him, the panic and rage slowly fading from his mind as he roared meekly at the figure. The figure seemed to wince and raised a hand as if to protect itself. Corrin reached out with a single claw to grab the figure, but suddenly froze.

This figure…no, _woman_ , smelled vaguely familiar to him. Corrin shook his head and snorted again as he felt himself unwillingly transforming back into his human form. Corrin clutched his head in his hands as he felt a familiar set of hands wrap themselves around him.

"Azura?" he groaned.

His vision blurred as it focused in on the scarred and disgruntled face of Gunter. Corrin yelped as Gunter gave him a rare smile and sighed in relief.

"Oh, thank goodness," he breathed. "You're alright."

Corrin frowned as he felt the stamping of many feet surrounding him. "What happened? Where are we?"

Gunter's lips grew pale as he looked up at some figure above Corrin. He followed Gunter's gaze to see a familiar songstress staring back down at him. He grinned weakly and flapped a hand in her direction.

"Hey," he said weakly. "How've you been do—"

Corrin's eyes widened in surprise as Azura threw her arms around Corrin's neck. Gunter's eyes widened for a split second in surprise as he felt her weight settle settle into his arms, but he continued to hold the two of them. After a moment's hesitation, Corrin returned the action, digging his fingers in her hair. He could've swore he heard choked sobs, but when she pushed herself away from him, she was her normal stoic self.

"Where…where are we?" he asked again.

"Where are _we?_ " the sullen voice of Takumi's voice sounded from somewhere behind him. "Where were _you?_ Not that I'm the one asking, but admittedly, we've all been worried sick about you."

Corrin rubbed his head as Gunter and Azura helped him to his feet. "I'm…not really sure," he said sheepishly. "All I really remember was being ambushed, being dragged off, waking up, meeting my mother—"

"—you _what?—"_

"—hearing Azura singing, running towards the sound of voice, being nearly buried alive by an earthquake, and finding you guys," Corrin finished. "Not sure if you guys also had the same adventure I had, but I'm just glad I found you all."

Gunter cracked another rare grin. "Likewise, milord. We've all been worried, as Lord Takumi said."

Corrin's hand moved down his waist to feel the ever-so-familiar sensation of Yato's pommel. "So what've you been up to?" he asked in a tone much more light-hearted than he actually felt, though he tried to not let it show.

Despite his efforts, the group's faces all darkened as half of them turned towards the prone figure, and the other half towards the figure Corrin had smashed into the wall a few moments prior. To his shock, Corrin found himself staring at the crumpled and bloodied figure of Ryoma, with Leo desperately charging him full of electricity using his spells while Sakura tearfully instructed him where to shock Ryoma next.

Corrin ran over to the trio and knelt next to Sakura, taking his sister's hand in his own and squeezing hers. Save for a sniffle and her own fingers tightening, she made no move to show that she had noticed Corrin.

"Over here," she said, pointing at a patch of skin directly under Ryoma's left clavicle. "…try…there…it's not like we've tried that spot before?"

"What happened?" Corrin asked.

Leo pursed his lips but did not answer. Sakura covered his mouth with her hands as he almost broke into tears. Laslow rested a hand on Corrin's shoulder.

"While you were gone, just after we escaped the ambush, we were ambushed again…by…by King Sumeragi himself, Ryoma's father."

Corrin looked up at the gray-haired retainer. "What?" he asked.

Laslow nodded. "Like I said, he ambushed us and challenged Ryoma to a duel. Being the peerless samurai and honor bound warrior that he was, Lord Ryoma accepted, but was struck down by Sumeragi when he pretended to plead mercy."

Corrin's lips curled as he scowled. "And yet my mother told me that Hoshidan duels were a matter of utmost importance between the two contestants, and yet one of them still acted...this…this _disgustingly_."

Hinoka nodded solemnly behind Corrin. "We were actually hoping that we were able to talk some sense into Sumeragi when it happened. It…just happened _so fast_. None of us saw it coming."

Corrin shook his head. "No, you shouldn't have tried to talk sense into Sumeragi."

Takumi pushed Hinoka out of the way. "W-what do you mean?" he asked aggressively. "Of course we should have! He was our father! I don't care if you think him as anything else other than your father, but he was a father to _us_ and he deserved another chance to talk with his children, at least!"

Corrin shook his head again sadly. "No, you don't understand." Standing back up, he looked at Takumi squarely in the eyes.

"Not…everyone was happy to just _accept_ Anankos' rule over their bodies," Corrin said, picking his words carefully. "Some people, like my mother, even though they were forced into his service, could still act somewhat independently. In fact, that's why I'm still alive all. All because she couldn't bring herself to kill me. I don't know if I can say the same for Sumeragi."

"B-but that's impossible!" Hinoka spluttered. "He loved all of us! He loved Ryoma…"

"I just don't know what to tell you, Hinoka," Corrin said sadly. "The longer someone remains in Anankos' servitude, the more often they'll find themselves agreeing to his beliefs and methodologies. The longer they serve Anankos, the more their original memories and independency fades. Sumeragi's been dead for, what? Fifteen, almost sixteen years? That's a long time for someone to be serving Anankos." He cast a pointed glance towards Azura, who nodded, understanding. Gunter frowned.

"Some people, especially people who are drawn towards the things they treasure the most, are more susceptible to Anankos' will, I'm guessing," Corrin continued. "If anything you told me about Sumeragi was true, our father was a headstrong man, a fearless warrior, who was driven mostly by his thirst for victory and honor. When he entered Anankos services—when he died—I'm guessing his sense of honor and justice slowly deteriorated into pure lust for battle. I don't think he sees himself as a true king anymore, but rather a loyal samurai carrying out his master's wishes, and if his master wishes for him to kill his enemies using any method necessary…well, he's got to do it, doesn't he?"

Takumi frowned but nodded. Hinoka opened her mouth to object further, when Ryoma suddenly coughed, his eyes fluttering open.

"Brother!" Hinoka exclaimed.

She raised her hands to hug her brother, but Sakura raised a finger. "D-don't hug him yet!" she squeaked. "We just finished healing him! There's b-bound to be some things left over that we haven't healed yet."

Takumi dropped to a knee, set Fujin Yumi on the floor next to him as he clasped Ryoma's hand in his own. "How's this possible?" he asked Sakura. "I thought he was dead. He _has_ to be dead! No one can lose that much blood and live!"

Leo grimly wiped his fingers clean of blood on a handkerchief he pulled somewhere from within the folds of his armor. "Not necessarily," he replied coolly. "Lord Ryoma is…well, for lack of a better term, pretty damn sturdy. I've never seen someone who can take so much punishment like that and live. I was surprised that he lasted as long as he did before Sakura and I got to him.

"What were you two doing? Why'd you keep casting spells on him?" Hinoka asked.

Leo opened his mouth to answer, but Sakura beat him to the punch. "It was all his idea!" she bubbled. "He told me that based on how Ryoma was still twitching and spasming, it would be impossible for him to be dead yet! He said that since the body usually goes into shock after going through such a level of punishment, he guessed that it would still be possible to heal his wounds and restart his heart!"

Leo rubbed the back of his head. "I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit, Lady Sakura," he murmured, the tips of his ears turning a faint shade of red. "If you weren't there, beside me, I would've never figured out where to cast my spells. Genius I may be, and child prodigy I may also be, but an anatomist, I am not. If it weren't for you, I would've probably fried his entire body all together, with the amount of spells I cast on his body."

Corrin ignored the banter between the two as he dropped to a knee and grasped Ryoma by the other hand. His brother's eyes fluttered open weakly and slowly focused on Corrin's paler-than-usual face.

"Corrin?" he gasped. "How…are you—how am I—"

"Sh…" he shushed, pushing Ryoma back down onto his back as the samurai tried to sit up. "Don't worry about it. I'll fill you in later, I just need you to rest now, alright?"

Ryoma breathed a sigh of relief as his fists unclenched. "That…sounds good," he murmured. "I'm…not feeling the best right now anyways." His eyes closed and rolled into the back of his head as he entered a natural sleep.

Corrin nodded, the small grin on his face fading as he stood back up and turned towards Sumeragi, who was struggling to his feet.

" _You!_ " he shouted.

Silence immediately fell over the chamber as everyone turned. Sumeragi froze, his hand still pressed against the bright red smile on his chest as he stared at Corrin.

"So, you must be the one they refer to as Corrin, am I right?" Sumeragi jeered.

"That's right," Corrin replied simply. "I'm him. I'm Corrin."

With a snap of his finger, Sumeragi's dō magically refurbished itself around his chest. He grinned and balled his fist confidently in front of him as he flashed a smile at Corrin.

"Well, I'd be—I haven't seen you…I haven't seen you since the day you died," Sumeragi said, his voice tinged with sadness.

Corrin did not reply but edged closer to Sumeragi, Yato held out in front of his body. Azura, Xander, and the rest of the group hung back, waiting with bated breath to see what he would do.

Sumeragi's eyes unfocused and his clenched fist fell loosely to his side, his face lost in thoughts. "Yes, yes," he mused. "You were just a tiny thing back then, barely able to reach my belt, and already, I could tell you were going to accomplish a great many things. I _was_ hoping that we would be able to arrange a marriage between you and Azura, if only to bring peace between Hoshido and Nohr, but now I see that I was wrong!"

Corrin's eyes narrowed. "What?"

Sumeragi continued on, ignoring Corrin's interjection. "It seems, in all my duties to serving the people of Hoshido, I forgot that the true ruler, the _rightful_ king, the one who suffered for all of us is the one and only King Anankos!"

"No," Corrin growled. "What did you say that you planned for me and Azura to do?"

Sumeragi frowned. "You don't know?" he asked. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he muttered almost to himself. "But surely, you don't—I'm not sure I understand milo— _ah_ , I see, I see. I understand milord."

Corrin tried to flick Yato up to Sumeragi's throat, but the former Hoshidan King batted it aside with the back of his hand like it weighed little more than a feather. "Patience, Corrin," he chided. "Did Nohr not subjugate you to schools dedicated to teaching you etiquette and manners while growing up?"

"Yes, they did, but that doesn't matter right now" Corrin said. "What did you mean by you planned to arrange a marriage between me and Azura?"

Sumeragi tapped his chin guiltily, "Ah, yes, I've forgotten. Mikoto unfortunately passed into Lord Anankos service before she was able to explain to the two of you what your bond would bring Hoshido and Nohr. As terrible as her death was to you and the rest of Hoshido, she ended up in Lord Anankos' service, where she told us the whole story, of how you have the blood of dragons and that you possessed Yato."

Corrin slowly lowered Yato. "What?"

Sumeragi smirked smugly. Everything was going to plan, just as he—just as _Lord Anankos_ had planned. "I think this charade's been going on enough, don't you agree, son?"

Corrin frowned. "I don't—what do you—what'd you say?"

Sumeragi resisted the temptation to grin wickedly. "Don't tell me that you forgot our plan. Corrin."

"What are you talking about? What plan?"

"Why, our plan to lead your 'friends' down here so we could kill them! We could do it right now, the two of us. You, with your draconic form, and I, with my sword skills, would be able to easily defeat these…these _usurpers_."

Xander stepped forward. "What is he talking about, Corrin? Is there something you're not telling us?"

Azura stepped forward as well. "Don't let his words affect you, Corrin!" she called. "All he's trying to do is to distract you so he can attack you when your guard's down!"

Sumeragi's eyes flared purple with anger as he stepped towards Azura, purple lightning flashing down the length of his Raijinto. " _Quiet_ ," he ordered. "How can you help these…these people after all those years of painful solitude and rejection?"

Azura frowned. "You don't know anything about me," she said flatly. "I don't need to like people to help them."

Sumeragi opened his mouth to utter a retort but Corrin stepped between him and Azura. "Hey, over here! Don't you go threatening my friends like that," he glowered. "What did you mean by arranging a marriage between me and Azura?"

Sumeragi sighed. "We _were_ hoping to arrange a marriage between you and _her—"_

He pointed at Azura, who took a small, barely noticeable step backwards, her face growing paler than usual, "so that we could finally achieve something close to peace between Hoshido and Nohr. But now I see that Mikoto's, Queen Arete, and my hopes were misplaced. The only true solution is to crush both empires and merge them together with Valla, the one true kingdom!"

Corrin twisted to shoot Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura a questioning glance. "Did any of you know?"

Takumi and Sakura shook their heads, but Hinoka guiltily tucked her naginata behind her back. "Well…sort of."

"What do you mean 'sort of?'" Corrin asked.

Hinoka tapped her foot nervously. "Well, it was really long ago, like when I was around six or seven. I was walking past Mother's room and I overheard her talking to somebody, a woman, about arranging something between you and Azura. At the time, I didn't know what that meant, but now I understand."

Corrin closed his eyes and rested his head against Yato's edge, the dragon within him urging him to take arms against his father. Sumeragi grinned. "Yes…do you feel that anger burning inside you towards these group of ruffians that you call 'family'? You needn't rely on Yato alone. Use that anger, _twist it,_ unleash it! Avenge your mother! Kill these usurpers so that we can finally be together, as true father and son!"

When Corrin opened his eyes, red eyes burned, tinged with steel. "If…you think the anger you sense within me is directed towards my friends, then you are _sorely_ mistaken."

Sumeragi settled into a fighting position. "Regardless of who you feel anger towards, use that anger and unleash upon me! I would be a poor excuse for a father to not take care of his children's mental wellbeing."

Corrin snapped, the dragon within baying for blood. "Don't call yourself my father!"

He dashed towards Sumeragi, Yato low to the ground, the tip almost scraping the stone. "You're not my real father! My father died in Cheve, doing what he loved most, protecting his children, not challenging them to battle and striking them down as he saw fit!" He accentuated the end of each sentence with another heavy blow from Yato.

Sumeragi's eyes widened in surprise, then slight panic as Corrin threw himself at him. Corrin transformed his left arm into a spear-like appendage, stabbed towards Sumeragi with it, transformed it back, slashed upwards with Yato, savagely kneed Sumeragi in the stomach, and when the older man keeled over, brutally shoved Yato into Sumeragi's chest with both hands. Not done yet, his anger still driving him, Corrin grasped Yato's pommel and twisted, causing Sumeragi to scream out in pain before he reached with his hand and struck him across the face, leaving red, angry mark. Azura, Sakura, and Hinoka gasped at the sight while Takumi's fingers tightened audibly around Fujin Yumi. None of them had ever seen Corrin fight so…brutally.

Sumeragi's eyes bugged out as he staggered backwards against a wall, his hands slick with blood as he stared into the golden edge protruding out of his body. Corrin stepped backwards and looked back the faces of his friends. To his despair, none of them would meet his gaze. Only Azura, whose mouth was hidden behind her slender fingers would meet his gaze, and the hurt and shock in her eyes felt like a hammer blow to his ribs.

Corrin stared at Sumeragi in horror for a moment. He instantly dropped Yato and rushed over to Sumeragi's side and held his hand. Takumi, Sakura, Azura, Hinoka, and Ryoma, who had just woken up, all dashed—or in the case of Ryoma, hobbled over by propping himself up on Xander's shoulder—over to Corrin and Sumeragi.

Sumeragi pulled out the blade, which turned out to be his last mistake. The instant Yato left his body, blood and intestines spurted outward, followed by a billowing black smoke that Sumeragi instantly recognized. With a groan, he collapsed against the wall, sliding down it until his hand fell weakly to the floor.

He raised his other hand and looked at it. "Lord Anankos…why have you forsaken me?" he murmured before his vision suddenly shifted. Standing and kneeling around him were his sons and daughters.

Sumeragi winced as a wave of blinding pain racked his body as the gray-haired blur to his left called for Sakura. A similarly shaped blob appeared next to Takumi, only this time tinged with red and white instead of grey. The blob waved some sort of rod over him, and almost instantly, his vision cleared again.

Despite the feeling of bliss nestling itself in his abdomen, Sumeragi knew the wound was a fatal one. Plus, Anankos would've never allowed any of his free will unless they were no longer useful to him.

"Dammit all! Why isn't this working? What are we doing wrong?" Takumi asked, his voice cracking.

Sakura desperately cast another wave of healing magic over Sumeragi. The flow of blood slowed momentarily before continuing to pour out at an even faster rate. "Save your energy," Sumeragi said weakly.

Ryoma dropped to one knee and stared into Sumeragi's eyes. "Father? Is that really you? And not some…some puppet or trick?"

Sumeragi coughed. "It is," he said simply. He beckoned for them to all lean in and listen to him. "Listen to me, I don't have a lot of time left in this world. Anankos made sure long before-hand that his servants would never see to live another day once he released them from his service, but I would've spent all of it with you, my children."

He tried to sit up but collapsed flat on his back with a heavy crash.

"Father!" Hinoka clasped Sumeragi by the front of his armor and laid her palms flat on his chest. "Not yet!"

Sumeragi chuckled as he wiped his hands free of blood on his trousers and ruffled Hinoka's short red hair. "Ah…" he sighed. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that: to ruffle your hair. Mikoto told me of how you wanted to keep your hair short until the day you rescued Corrin, but you still kept it short. Why is that?"

Hinoka tearfully smiled. "I'm starting to think it suits me pretty well after all this time."

Sumeragi smiled back. "I think so too. Keep it that way. I like it."

He looked at Sakura. "Hello, Sakura. Have you been well?"

Sakura also gave him a tearful smile as she nodded vigorously. "Oh, yes, of course! I-I've never been better!"

Sumeragi's eyes saddened. "I'm…so sorry, to have not been there for you," he said solemnly.

Sakura blinked, confused. "W-what do you m-mean?"

Sumeragi sighed. "I've never been there for you. After you were born, I spent so…so much time grieving for Ikona and falling in love with Mikoto that I was afraid that I had neglected you. You were just such a tiny little thing, barely fitting in the length of my hand, and now look at you! You're such a beautiful, brave, young, sweethearted women. I'm sorry I was never there to see you at that koto recital when you were younger."

Sakura's hands went up to cover her mouth in surprise. "You…you knew about that?"

Sumeragi smiled gently as he cupped Sakura's cheeks in his hands. "Well, of course! Cruel and depraved Anankos could be, but we still had 'some' sense of freedom. So long as we came back with what he wanted, we were free to do whatever we wanted to in the area."

Sakura smiled and almost immediately broke down into sobs next to Hinoka, who comfortingly wrapped her younger sister around the shoulder as she struggled to fight back tears of her own."

Sumeragi turned to look at Takumi.

"Takumi…why…why are you crying?"

Takumi forcefully wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "I'm…I'm not!" he said, convincing no one. "I'm…I'm just allergic to seeing you again."

Sumeragi chuckled. "Well, don't be. You and your siblings have all met and even surpassed my hopes for you, which is saying something, both as warriors on the battlefield and as royalty of Hoshido. I could've have wished for a better son. Be proud. Be proud of who've you become, what you've done, and the things you did, because I am."

Takumi nodded once. "I…I will, Father. Thank you."

Sumeragi smiled but his eyebrows furrowed as he looked around. "Where…where is Ryoma?"

Ryoma shifted uneasily. "I'm over here," he said.

Sumeragi's eyes moved downward to see the red armored and brown maned samurai kneeling at his feet. "Why don't you move up here, next to Takumi and Hinoka?" he said congenially. "That way, I don't have to strain my eyes too much."

Ryoma's lips pursed but he did as he was asked. Behind him, Xander extended his hands to help Ryoma up, but Ryoma simply shook his head. Xander reluctantly retreated.

Ryoma fell to his knees, his fist flat against the surface of the floor as he knelt next to his father. Hinoka, Takumi, Sakura, and Azura all nervously swept their eyes between the two men. Ryoma had said some…pretty harsh things, but Sumeragi was the one who tried to kill him.

Sumeragi sighed, and Ryoma reached out with his hand. Azura's eyes widened.

"Ryoma, don't!"

Ryoma's and Sumeragi's hand closed around each other as they clasped it together in a powerful handshake. "I…I can't tell you how proud I am to see you like this, Ryoma," Sumeragi whispered.

Ryoma nodded. "I can't believe its really you. Tell me, one thing, just one."

Sumeragi brought his head closer to Ryoma's lip. "What is it?"

"Am…am I ready to be a good ruler, once this is all over? Do you believe I have what it takes to rule Hoshido even with a wound as grievous as mine?"

Sumeragi sighed. "I've must've been a poor father if all you're worried about is the throne." He looked into Ryoma's eyes. "In all my years of ruling Hoshido and running amok with my friends and retainer, I've learned one thing: the throne _chooses_ the next ruler. As you know, the throne was infused with the power of the First Dragons, granting it ability to allow those who sit on it to regain their true form and mind. It will always choose a ruler that is both benevolent and firm with its people. It will never choose nor allow one who is not fit to rule to sit on the throne. Such is the magic woven into it. The throne reveals those who sit upon it for who they really are, so tell me: did you ever sit on the throne before?"

Ryoma hesitated for a second. "It's alright if you did," Sumeragi said kindly.

"…Yes. I did," Ryoma finally said after a moment's pause.

"And happened? Did anything about you change?"

"…No."

"Did any part of your body change appearance? Did it allow you to sit on it?"

Ryoma paused again, unsure of how to answer. "…No, and…yes, I guess?"

Sumeragi nodded then. "Ah, I see. Then you have nothing to fear, Ryoma."

Ryoma frowned. "But I don't understand! I've only seen you and Mother sit on the throne, but nobody else! When I sat on the throne, nothing happened! Does it mean that I'm not worthy to rule?"

Sumeragi chuckled and shook his head. "No, no! If nothing changes, then it means that the throne deems you pure of heart and worthy to rule!"

Ryoma blinked. "What?"

Sumeragi pinched the bridge on his nose as he shook his head. "I've really been a terrible father, haven't I?"

He looked back up Ryoma. "Ryoma, if you sat on the throne, and nothing about you changed whatsoever, then it means that the throne declares you worthy of becoming the next ruler, do you understand?"

"But…but what about my wound—"

"It doesn't matter!" Sumeragi snapped, though not unkindly. "The throne watches for worthiness and truth, not power and how well you fight! Even if you were mangled horribly in battle, if the throne declares you fit to rule, then you rule. I know it's part of the samurai code to die gloriously on the battlefield with honor, but in this case, nothing is as important as the Hoshidan throne, do you understand?"

"One last thing, before I go…where's Corrin and Azura?"

"Over here." Hinoka grabbed Azura by the arm and dragged her over. "She's right here."

Sumeragi looked around. "What about Corrin? Where's he?"

"…Over here," came the quiet reply.

Sumeragi's eyes, if possible, became even sadder as he grasped Corrin by the shoulders. "I'm…so, _so_ sorry for attacking you. You were right, I wasn't the father I thought I was."

Corrin rested his hands on top of Sumeragi. "There's no need to apologize. You didn't have a choice when Anankos ordered me to kill us. If anything, it should be me that should be apologizing."

"I'm not talking about me trying to kill you and Ryoma, though I do admit that I had some fault in that," Sumeragi interrupted. "It's…just been…so long since I've seen my children, and so long since I've had a worthy opponent that the lines between the two began to blur. What I'm talking about is about how I wasn't able to protect you that day—the day Garon took you from Hoshido. Your life would've been so…so different if only I was stronger that time."

Corrin frowned, trouble. "There's…no need to apologize," he said. "They're faint, but I still have some memories about you, watching you swinging Raijinto, training Ryoma, throwing me into the air and catching me, feeling safe whenever he patted me on the head with your hand. I know that you truly cared and loved me as if I was your own child, and you gave your life away trying to protect me."

Sumeragi chuckled "Hah, such a forgiving young man you turned out to be…Tell me, did you ever meet Mikoto down here in Valla?"

Corrin glanced nervously at the others. Takumi, Sakura, and Hinoka were already out of earshot, murmuring quietly to each while Azura chatted with Ryoma, though they had the good sense to not eavesdrop.

"Yes. I did."

Sumeragi reached out and grasped Corrin's forearm. "That's…good. That's very good. Just…remember what she said about the doors," he said, his eyes slowly dulling.

"Why?" Corrin asked. "Is she planning to betray us?"

Sumeragi shook his head. Was it just him, or was Sumeragi slowly turning clear?

"No, no," Sumeragi murmured. "It's…just that our time together was so short. I'll never forget how we met. I was just travelling through Hoshido to one of the nearby Fire Tribes, and there I saw her, working her hands off on a washboard. I knew instantly that I had fallen in love with her. Sometime later, after Valla fell, she fled to Hoshido, only this time, with you."

"Me?" Corrin asked. "W-what do you mean? What does this have to do with—wait, how did she travel to—"

"Oh, you were such a small tiny thing," Sumeragi continued. "Even as a baby, I could sense that you would achieve a great many things, though I didn't expect killing a god to be ranked so highly on that list."

Corrin couldn't help keep himself from chuckling. Then, just as quickly, his mirth died. Sumeragi noticed the sudden change and tilted his head quizzedly. "What's wrong, Corrin? If there's anything I can do to help, just tell me."

"I feel like everything so far in my life was already predetermined," he said reluctantly, after a lengthy pause. "Like no matter what I do, I'll always be stuck on the same path. That's why I refused to join Hoshido or Nohr the begin with: I was sick of being told that I had just one purpose in life, and that that fulfilling that purpose was all I was good for."

Behind Ryoma, Xander wrung his hands nervously. Everything Corrin just said struck a particularly noteworthy chord within him. He too had been subjugated to those exact same words and thoughts.

Hinoka, Sakura, and Takumi all shifted uneasily. "We'll…just let you guys do your thing," Takumi said as he cautiously inched away.

Corrin waved his hand. "It's fine, Takumi. All of you are my family. You've all earned the right to listen to my ramblings, I guess."

Continuing on, Corrin rested his chin on his knees as he stared ahead listlessly. "It…I guess it came sort of a shock to me that you and Mother planned to marry me off to Azura."

Behind him, Azura blushed.

"I mean, it's not all that unpleasant, but I guess it just sort of came of a surprise to me—to the two of us. It's…just that I have one question."

"What is it?" Sumeragi asked, pushing himself as much as he can against the wall.

"Is…all of this worth it?"

Sumeragi frowned. "I'm…not sure I understand what you mean by that."

Corrin sighed. "I knew you wouldn't be able to understand. What I meant was, was everything I did so far worth it? Reuniting Hoshido and Nohr, getting the two kingdoms to work with each other; what happens if it was all for nothing? What happens if Anankos just wipes us all out in the blink of an eye? Was it my destiny to fail?"

"Of course not!" Azura interrupted. "How could you think that?"

Corrin guiltily rubbed the back of his head. "Well—I mean, you remember what I told you, right? Back in the fort, when you snuck into my room?"

"I _did_ _not_ sneak into your room. I…simply thought you needed help with finding that map."

"Doesn't matter," Corrin said, waving his hand. "The point is, remember how I felt really bad about how poorly we started this invasion? About how quickly we lost Scarlet, and then nearly half our army? Remember that?"

Azura frowned. "Yes…what of it?"

Corrin rubbed the back of his head as he squeezed Azura's hand. "And me asking you to run and save yourself if anything was to happen to me?"

"Of…course," Azura said frostily. "How…could I not?"

"Well, I was thinking. What happens if we're doomed to fail? What happens if Scarlet's death was just a premonition of the rest of us? Would it be too late for us to back out?"

Sumeragi clasped Corrin on the shoulder. "Listen to me, Corrin," he said. "In a way, yes, your life was already set in stone. According to Anankos, you were the second 'successful' half-breed to have been born in over a thousand years. That can't just be a coincidence. Your fate may have been set in stone already, but that doesn't mean you can't do anything to change it. It'll…just be a bit harder."

Corrin frowned. "What do you mean?"

Sumeragi sighed. "I don't know. All I have is this feeling in my gut telling me that…maybe it would've been better for things to have turned out this way, for you to have followed this path as long as you have. It's sort of when you know where your opponent is going to strike next, you know? You just _know_."

Corrin looked towards Azura, who gave him a faint smile in return. "Do…do you think we have a chance of defeating Anankos?"

Sumeragi looked startled by the question. "Well, er, of course! You have the blood of the dragons coursing through your body! I expect that to give you an edge, even if it's a really small one, but I truly that believe that you have the ability to overthrow and kill that dragon if you try hard enough."

Corrin stared blankly at Sumeragi. "If we try hard enough," he repeated. "Is that it?"

Sumeragi shrugged. "Well, basically. There's really nothing I can do to help you now. Maybe it _is_ Anankos' fault that he killed me so that I couldn't help you. Maybe it's _because_ Anankos killed that I feel more inclined towards helping you, but I believe it in my heart of hearts when I say that you have the ability to defeat him."

Corrin opened his mouth to object, but Azura interrupted him by suddenly planting a chaste kiss on his cheek. He flinched, surprised. "What was that for?"

Azura blushed. "Well, we didn't really have a proper reunion after you found your way back to us, and we need to move out soon, and since you were still stuck in conversation with your father, so I thought this would be the best way to catch your attention."

"Well, yeah, I guess it worked, but we're also really busy right now! How is this a good time for you to be kissing me on the cheek when we literally have a dragon sitting in a castle literally right above us! We don't have time to spend time kissing and hugging!"

Azura snarkily raised an eyebrow. "I seem to remember me saying that, instead of you. What happened to the bright, energetic, optimistic boy back in the fort?"

Corrin pinched the bridge on his nose in exasperation. "I—er, I don't know…I just…wasn't expecting you to get so sentimental all of a sudden."

"Well, even in the miniscule chance that everything _is_ already set in stone, and that we're destined to fail, I would still like to see you happy one last time."

"Why? So I could ride off into battle with a smile and kiss mark on my face?"

Azura pushed him, playfully affronted. Sumeragi sighed and chuckled. Corrin and Azura turned back towards him. Azura turned a faint shade of red as she realized that Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura were all watching them,

"What?" Corrin asked.

Sumeragi held up a finger as he continued to chuckle. "I know you feel like everything in your life was predetermined already, but just know, your betrothal to Azura was not one done out of necessity or reason, but rather for sentimentality."

Corrin frowned. "What…do you mean?"

Sumeragi chuckled again. "The two of you? The way you're acting right now? You're acting almost the same as when you two were children, playing in Izumo, during peace talks."

Corrin and Azura both flushed and looked away from each other, though Azura had a pleased smile on her face.

Sumeragi smiled at their embarrassment. "Regardless, Azura, if you may, there's one last thing I need to tell Corrin. _Alone_."

The smile on Azura's face faded almost instantly but she nodded. "O-of course, King Sumeragi."

Sumeragi rolled his eyes. "Oh, please, Azura," he said. "I'm your uncle, for gods sake. You don't need to worry about titles around me!"

Azura pursed her lips but nodded as she stood up, smoothening the front of her dress. Corrin reluctantly let her fingers slip out of his own as she patted his head gently before heading off to talk with the rest of Corrin's siblings. Sumeragi reached up and grabbed Corrin's shoulder.

"Listen here, Corrin," Sumeragi whispered.

Corrin brought his head closer to Sumeragi's lips. "Yes?"

"You _do_ plan on proposing to her sometime after the war, right?"

Corrin froze. "Well—yeah, I hope."

Satisfied, Sumeragi released Corrin's shoulder. "Very well then," he said. "Then I give you my blessing."

"Your…blessing?" Corrin asked haltingly.

Sumeragi smacked his own forehead. "Of course, you never learned about marriages, have you?"

"N-no, not really, though I would like it if you could keep the lesson to a minimum."

Sumeragi rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, whatever, fine. Basically, before proposing, it is the husband's responsibility to seek out his parent's approvals and blessings before formally proposing. Since I just gave you mine, if you really wanted to, you could propose to her right now, though I'm not sure if that would be the wisest idea."

Corrin's eyes widened. "W-wait, really? N-not the part about proposing right now—I'm planning something later—, but you would be willing to…give out your blessing just like that? What about Ryoma? What about Takumi?"

Sumeragi made a non-committal noise. "Eh, they'll be fine. It's _you_ I'm worried about, Corrin. Once this war is over, you'll not only have to deal with two countries still hostile to each other, you'll also have to deal with the countless hours of work that comes after a war. I wanted to give you my blessing right now because…well, I'm, afraid I won't be here that long. Better now then never."

Sumeragi opened his mouth to continue, but Kaze suddenly materialized out of thing air next to Corrin, bent down, and whispered something urgently into his ear. Corrin's ear pricked up as he heard what Kaze was saying. Corrin reluctantly rose from his haunches.

"I'm…I'm sorry…Father," he said, the word sounding strange and rusty in his mouth. "But Kaze just told me that they found something, and that they needed me. I…I wish we could've talked more. I wish we could've had more time together. I'm sorry that we needed to leave you like this."

Sumeragi shrugged his shoulders. "Well, it wasn't like I was going to last much longer after this anyways. One last thing."

Sumeragi groaned and pressed his arms to his stomach. He was definitely starting to turn clearer now, skin fading away to reveal translucent muscle underneath. Alarmed, Ryoma, Sakura, Takumi, and Hinoka sped over to their father's side. Only Azura hung back, standing behind close to Corrin. Sumeragi looked down at his hands and shook his head.

"What a disgrace…" he muttered. "Look at me. Once a king, but now I'm little more than Anankos' plaything now. At least he had the courtesy of letting me spend my last few moments with my children, all of you. That includes you too, Azura."

Azura blinked, surprised.

Sumeragi's eyes fixated themselves on some faraway point. "I'm just so to see you again, my children."

Ryoma knelt down and shook Sumeragi's shoulder. "Father? Are you alright, Father?"

"So…glad…"

"Father! Wait, don't leave us! Not yet!"

"…so…proud…"

And with those words, Sumeragi breathed his last. His skin turned clear, and turned into water. Ryoma recoiled as the water splashed onto his clothing while Azura and Corrin sadly looked at each other and at the puddle of water spreading out beneath their feet.

Ryoma bowed his head, his fist shaking. Takumi sank to his knees, his eyes wide and full of shock. Hinoka gently patted her brother's on the shoulder, murmuring words of comfort to them as tears flowed unchecked. Only Sakura was not crying. Instead, she turned around and buried her face in the person closest to her, which happened to be Leo. He blushed as she sobbed in his shoulder. Reluctantly, he wrapped his armored arms around her back and patted her gingerly. Azura also leaned into Corrin, and he too wrapped his arms around her, taking comfort in each other's warmth and company. Meanwhile, Xander, Elise, and Camilla exchanged saddened looks. Elise patted Ryoma on the shoulder as Camilla dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief she pulled out of her bra. Xander looked down at the floor between his boots, Siegfried pulsing in response to it's master's emotions.

On the other side of the chamber, partially hidden by shadow, Gunter stroked his chin.

"Interesting…"


	25. Chapter 25

"Over here!" Keaton called. He waved over the rest of the group.

Corrin, Azura, Xander, and Ryoma all ran over while Benny and Effie grunted as they picked up and forced aside what seemed a random boulder leaning against the wall, revealing yet another, much smaller, yet wider tunnel. Keaton's and Kaden's tail and ears twitched as they sniffed the air curiously. Corrin picked up a nearby torch mounted on the wall and waved it into the darkness, trying to see how far the tunnel went, the flames flickering against the gray stone walls. He glanced nervously at Azura, Kaden, and Keaton.

"A-are…are you sure this is the way we're supposed to go?" he asked, not bothering to hide the fact that his voice was shaking ever so slightly.

Kaden thumped Corrin on the shoulder. "C'mon, Corrin. It's not that bad. It's just a little dark."

Corrin clenched his fist. "I'm…not scared of the dark. I…just have a—"

"You sure?" Keaton interrupted. "Sounds like you do. It's alright if you're scared of the dark. Keaton here is scared of spiders."

"Hey!" the kitsune protested. "I thought I told you to not tell anybody!"

Corrin glared at Keaton irritated. "I _am not_ afraid of the dark!" he snapped. "I'm…just not comfortable with tight places. _Dark_ places especially."

"So you _are_ afraid of the dark then!" Kaden needled.

Corrin shot him another irritated look. "Stay focused," he ordered. "We need to be alert. I got a feeling that this place is filled with traps. Be careful."

Corrin looked back at the group behind him. He locked eyes with Azura, who gave him a small, faint smile and made a _go on_ gesture with her hand. Taking a deep breath, Corrin unsheathed Yato and held it in front of him, the weapon giving off a faint golden glow.

"Everyone ready?" he called out. A moment passed as every checked their weapons and persons for their needed equipment. Ryoma nodded towards Corrin.

"We're all ready," he said in his deep voice. His dō had been repaired, courtesy of Laslow and Odin, though part of his right sode was still shattered from his fight with Sumeragi.

"Alright," Corrin said after a moment's hesitation. "Let's…move out."

And with that, the group walked forward into the tunnel, weapons at the ready.

* * *

"Hey," Azura said in a small voice as she sidled up next to Corrin. Corrin jumped as he felt her brush his side. Everyone else had gone on in front of him, leaving only him wandering blindly towards the end of the tunnel. Understandably, he was a little bit more than just _apprehensive._

"Ah! Don't scare me like that, Azura!" he said nervously. "I don't need to worry about you sneaking up on me while I'm stuck down here. Gods knows what else could be down here."

Azura looked him concernedly. "Are you alright? You…seem a little pale—er, _paler_."

Corrin turned to face her, Yato's light illuminated part of his face. True to her words, Corrin _did_ indeed to seem a little paler, his skin so white it appeared to be nearly translucent in the torch light. His red eyes danced nervously in the dark around him as the earth shook ever so slightly.

"What was that?" he asked nervously.

Azura patted his arm. "I'm sure it's nothing, Corrin," she said reassuringly. "It's probably just the sounds of the battle. We _are_ basically right underneath them, after all."

"I wonder how it's going for them. The soldiers, I mean." He looked at Azura. "Do you trust that…Robert something-or-other fellow that Laslow, Selena, and Odin called."

Azura shrugged. "It's _Robin_ , I'm sure. Personally, I'm not too sure about him, since on one hand, he _did_ just sort of appear out of nowhere, but then again, Laslow, Selena, and Odin have all been loyal and trustworthy retainers in the past. If they trust him, I'd be so hazardous to say that we should too. Plus, I've talked with the man a few times before. He seems to know what he's doing."

Corrin nodded thoughtfully. Neither mentioned the unspoken fact that if they failed to kill Anankos, it probably wouldn't matter if they trusted the tactician or not. Azura linked her arm around Corrin's.

"Anyways," Azura said in a manner mimicking casual conversation almost perfectly. "Why _are_ you so pale?"

Corrin laughed nervously. "What're you talking about? I'm not pale. Have you seen yourself recently? I-I mean, you're even paler than I am!"

" _Corrin_ ," Azura pressed, more seriously this time. "What's wrong? Have you been poisoned or something?"

Corrin paused. "Eh—no. It's…just that I'm…not too fond of underground spaces. _Tight_ underground spaces."

Azura frowned. "Oh? Why's that?"

Corrin sighed. "I don't know," he said defeatedly. "I mean, I'm pretty sure everyone has _some_ fear of being trapped underground forever, but I feel like ever since I discovered that I'm, well, half-dragon, it feels like that fear grew even bigger, somehow, you know?"

"Ah. I see," Azura said simply, unsure of how to properly respond. Corrin? Afraid of tight spaces? If they weren't currently in such a situation, she would've laughed. Even still, as she dwelled on this thought, she suddenly became conscious of just how tightly packed they were in the tunnel, her shoulders grazing against the stone walls as they walked.

"I guess that's…understandable, considering that you _are_ part dragon."

Corrin nodded. After a lengthy pause, Corrin asked, "Do…do you know what that's called? Being afraid of tight spaces?"

Azura nodded. "I think it's called something the lines of claustrophobia, but I'm not really sure. I'd have to ask Leo about that. He knows more about random tidbits of information than I do."

Corrin nodded. "I see. Thanks, Azura," he said.

"Of course."

"Hey, um, Azura?" Corrin asked quizzingly.

"Yes?" Azura rose her eyebrows. "What is it?"

"Uh, you're _positive_ that we'll find Anankos if we keep going down this way, right?"

Azura frowned. "Well, yes, we should."

"You don't sound so sure yourself," Corrin noticed.

"It's…just that the last I've been in Castle Gyges, I was a toddler," Azura admitted. "There's just somethings I've never seen before, only heard about. Like this? The tunnels under the castle? I've read before that some survivors managed to escape down into the abandoned sewers beneath the castle, but I never expected it to be so…so convoluted."

"What about this tunnel, then?" Corrin asked. "Do you know where this one leads?"

Azura paused for a moment to gather her thoughts before replying. "… _Sort of?_ I mean, I've never been down here, but I think I have an idea where this one leads, though I could be wrong."

"Let's hear it, then."

Azura unlinked her arms from Corrin. "Are you sure, Corrin?" she asked. "you may not like what you hear."

Corrin shrugged. "It's fine," he said. "I've probably heard worse."

Azura sighed. "Well, when I said that we were underneath Castle Gyges, _technically_ , I was lying."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there's Castle Gyges, you know, the big castle you saw while we were in the forest. _Underneath_ the actual castle itself is the dungeons."

"—the dungeons?" Corrin interrupted.

Azura nodded. "Yes, the dungeons. Underneath that, is well," she gestured to the rock all around them, " _this."_

"While all castles have some sort of dungeons built within them, Castle Gyges is…unique. While the previous rulers never needed anything more than the city guards and occasionally the military to deter criminals, when Anankos started…acting up, more and more people found themselves on the wrong side of the law. At first, it was minor. Relatively. A murder here, a series of assaults there. But the longer the threat of Anankos loomed over us, people started getting more… _desperate_."

Guilt, along with what sounded like shame, crept in Azura's voice as she continued. "Since we couldn't just _kill_ those who defied the laws, nor let them run free for their crimes, my mother, Arete, the queen of Valla, ordered that the tunnels beneath Castle Gyges be excavated out to create one of the world's largest dungeons—if not _the_ largest dungeon."

Corrin opened his mouth to ask how she knew so much about this, but decided against it, remembering her habit of reading and storing historical knowledge about…well, everything, as well as her reluctance to reveal any secrets she may have picked or hid in the past

"These dungeons…were they ever completed?"

Azura sighed. "No, and perhaps it was better that they were completed. Even before the dungeon was completed, nearly all of the cells were filled with either those who had broken the law, or those who had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Corrin whistled. "Were there really that many people who were being arrested?"

Azura nodded sadly. "You have to understand, Corrin, that not everyone was happy with my mother for being queen. In an odd sort of way, most people actually preferred my father, Theophilus, even though he was considered rather weak-willed by many. Most thought he was too easily swayed by his friendship with Anankos, which only further fueled the rage that came after he murdered my father. To them, he went up to Anankos waving a metaphorical white flag, and when Anankos killed him, well, you know how the story goes…"

Corrin frowned. "That's odd. You've never mentioned your father before."

"Did I not?" Azura tapped her cheek thoughtfully. "Well, I did now."

"Back to the point," she continued, "Even before my father was killed, Valla was not…in the best of states, according to my mother. I was still too young to remember or understand what was happening at the time, but my mother made it clear that I was to learn as much I could about her past, in case I…I met someone who could help me."

Corrin blushed and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, though a wry smile threatened to break out on his lips. "Well, lucky you, I guess."

Azura smiled. "Yes, I was _very_ lucky to have met you," she replied.

Corrin coughed and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "About that…about us meeting each other. Could we talk about our whole… _thing_ …for a second?"

"What thing?"

Corrin coughed again and let his hand rest uneasily on Yato's pommel, the familiar surface warm to his fingers. "You know that…that I really love you, right Azura?"

To his relief, the pause that followed was almost nonexistent. "Well, of course!" she replied. "But what does this—"

"While I was fighting Sumeragi, he mentioned something about having a marriage arranged between us two."

"…What of it?" Azura asked. "Even if our marriages were arranged king before we were born, that still doesn't change the fact that I…that I _love_ you, Corrin."

Corrin's mind short-circuited at that. "W-wait, really?"

Azura looked at him in confusion. "W-well, of course!" she said, lightly slapping his arm. "What made you think the opposite? Just because I'm not one to wear my heart on my sleeve—"

"—you literally kissed me on the cheek in front of everyone. While my father was dying."

"—that's beside the point!" she snapped, though the soft glint in her eye somewhat softened her harsh tone. "Sorry," she apologized. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that.

"'It's alright," Corrin mumbled.

"…just because I'm not someone who likes to be all affectionate in public, doesn't mean that I don't love you, Corrin. I'd thought you'd know that by now, considering how long we've been together."

"Well, I-I mean, we've barely known each other for a year before we started, you know, courting, and it's only been a couple months since we did!"

Azura rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Point is, even _if_ our marriage was arranged a long time ago, and even _if_ we knew each other for a relatively short amount of time, that doesn't change that fact that I'm _happy_ being with you, Corrin. I _enjoy_ every moment we have together, and nothing, not even a _dragon_ with near god-like powers, can change that."

"Do…do you really mean that?"

Azura wrapped an arm around Corrin's waist. "Of course," she replied. "What even brought this up in the first place?"

Corrin grinned sheepishly. "Trust me, it's better if you didn't know. You'll probably think of me as a fool if I told you."

Azura chuckled and drew Corrin ever closer. "You can trust me, right? I promise I won't tell anyone else."

Corrin rolled his eyes and sighed. " _Fine_. I was afraid that if you found out that our marriages were arranged, you would feel really angry about it and not…love me as much anymore."

 _Gods, was there even a way to word It so that he_ didn't _sound like a child?_

Azura blinked, before breaking out into a fit of giggles. Corrin's eyebrows furrowed together, but it wasn't long before he felt a grin also start to break out on his face.

"What?" he said defensively.

Azura covered her mouth with her hands as she tried to compose herself. "Corrin, I hope you know that I love you too, it's just that sometimes, you really can be hopeless. I forget that not everyone has seen the things that I have, so it's always a pleasure to watch you stumble along."

Corrin pouted.

"Besides," Azura continued, taking pity on him by patting his arm, "it's not as if the marriage ever went through, remember? Sumeragi said they _planned_ to arrange it between us, but since Garon, you know, killed Sumeragi, the betrothal never really went into motion, so it _technically_ never existed."

Corrin chuckled along with Azura this time, and wrapped her arm around her shoulder. This time, Azura was pleased to note, his arm wasn't shaking nearly as much as it had a couple minutes ago.

"…I was worrying too much about this whole 'arranged marriage' thing, wasn't I?"

"Mhmmm."

"But you're still willing to, I don't know, continue on with me?"

"Yep."

"I never to worry about anything, didn't I?"

"Nothing whatsoever."

"I should've just accepted the whole thing as it was, shouldn't I?"

"You definitely should've."

They continued walking in silence for another minute, enjoying each other's company as they walked, before Azura finally spoke up again, her tone much more sober this time. "Anyways, back to what I was talking about, my mother made it clear to me that our kingdom was already going through a rather difficult time, and when my father was murdered, all it did was remind them what the true threat was. Before, Valla was undergoing one of its worst famines after Anankos destroyed Brightwood Forest, one of Valla's most bountiful habitats. It supplied everything: lumber, food, everything. Droughts wracked the kingdom, and fires and riots were spreading everywhere. People turned to…less honest methods, so my mother was forced to use even less honest methods."

"That sounds terrible," Corrin murmured. "I can't imagine how hard it must've been on you and your mother."

Azura laughed dryly. "Ha, I was still too young to remember anything. Remember that all this happened either before I was born, or just after my first or second birthday. Everything I know of Valla before that, my mother told me."

Corrin nodded. "I see."

"Anyways. After Anankos attacked, those who trapped in the dungeon…remained trapped. Hopefully, Anankos had already turned those trapped down here to his service. They deserved that much, at least."

Corrin pursed his lips. It never failed to both surprise and disgust him the atrocities Anankos committed. It was despicable, to say the least.

"If my guess is correct, this tunnel should lead us out into either the castle dungeon," Azura continued. "Once we're in, then we'll—well—do your thing…" Her voice meandered off.

The two continued walking. As they walked, Azura rewrapped her arm around Corrin's. He gave her a grateful smile, glad that there was at least one other person down here with him. Normally, Azura wasn't one to be openly affectionate, but in times such as these, who knows if they would ever get the chance to talk again?

Corrin frowned as he felt the dragon within him growl. It was a useless warning, since it told him nothing of where the danger might be, or even what kind of danger it was. He stopped in his tracks, his ears twitching ever so slightly as his eyes darted around.. Azura frowned as she noticed his sudden pause.

"Corrin?" she asked, her voice fraught with concern. "What's wrong?"

Corrin didn't respond, but instead tilted his head to the side, sniffing the air. If it wasn't for the wild look in his eyes, Azura would've found the spectacle of Corrin acting like a wolf somewhat humorous.

"Corrin?" Azura asked again, this time, not bothering to hide the nervousness seeping into her voice.

" _I AM…THE FORGOTTEN DRAGON. THE BETRAYED KING, THE ENTOMBED GOD.._ "

Corrin's shoulders slumped. "Ah, not this again."

He tore Yato from its sheath and pushed Azura behind him, shielding her with his own body.

"Hey!" she protested as Corrin slammed her back against the wall. "Careful!"

He pressed his back against Azura's chest as he looked down the tunnel, Yato held out in front of him.

"C-Corrin?" Azura's voice rang out again. "I-I can't see!"

To his horror, he suddenly realized that he had dropped the torch, bathing them in the dark. They were nothing more than a pinprick of light in a sea of darkness. Azura shakily wrapped her hand around Corrin's waist. To her concern, his entire body was shaking just as much as her hand.

"Corrin, what's happening?" she asked

" _IN THE NAME OF THE KING OF VALLA, I SENTENCE YOU TO DEATH!"_

Corrin turned to see a purple figure, flickering with red flames, racing towards him, its feet barely touching the floor as it glided towards him ethereally. Only this, time, there was nowhere to run, nowhere he could retreat to.

"Azura, run!"

Corrin pushed Azura out of the way as he raised Yato to defend himself, but before he could, the figure conjured the flaming sword that had killed Scarlet and raised it for the deathblow.

His vision flashed purple and orange. He felt himself fall onto the cold stone floor beneath him, his head uttering a nasty _crack_ as it banged against the floor. Corrin could vaguely smell the scent of smoke rising up from his body. How bad the damage was, he wasn't sure—the figure had managed to knocked Yato out of his hands and for some reason, he couldn't move.

 _Poison?_

No, it couldn't be poison. If he _was_ poisoned, then everything would be hurting a lot more.

Time slowly sped back up for Corrin as he registered the fact that he was still alive, albeit paralyzed. He couldn't even call out Azura's name. It felt like the blow had glued his mouth shut.

"Corrin? _Corrin!_ "

Azura's pale face appeared in the peripherals of his vision, her features barely lit by Yato's blade.

 _Wait, where is Yato?_

His eyes darted around. Azura set her hands on his chest as she called his name again. "Corrin! Are you hurt? Answer me!"

Azura gasped and rose her hands off his chest as she noticed the acrid scent rising from his armor. Though the armor was undamaged, there was a patch of black soot where the figure had struck Corrin. She gingerly poked the patch, but quickly yelped and withdrew her finger.

" _Gods_ , that's hot!" she exclaimed. A sudden chill filled her body as she realized what the blow meant.

"Corrin? Are you alright?" Her voice was high and reedy, the way it sounded whenever she threatened to lose her composure

Corrin tried to answer, but couldn't force his lips to move. Azura's eyes widened, then sighed in relief as she saw his red eyes darting around nervously. He was paralyzed, but alive. Not even his hair, which was posed somewhat ridiculously in front of his face, was moving, so that it looked like it was standing up on its own.

"Alright," she said, struggling to hide the shaking in her voice. "One blink for yes, no blinks for no. Can you hear me?"

One blink.

"Are you hurt in anyway? Do you feel any pain?"

Corrin's eyebrows furrowed as he glared down at the wisp of smoke rising from his chest, then, two blinks.

"Do you know what just attacked us?"

Two blinks.

"Can you talk? Can you move?"

Hesitation, then two blinks again.

Azura sighed in relief. "Well, at least you're fine. Er, well, mostly."

Corrin rose an eyebrow as he looked down at his body again. Azura cleared her throat as she set her hands back on Corrin's chest.

"Alright, listen to me," she ordered. "I don't know what just attacked us, or what they did to you, but you look like you've been paralyzed. I don't know how they did it: I didn't hear them cast a spell, but until we can get Leo, Elise, or Sakura to look at you, you're nothing more than a statue. Do you understand?"

One blink.

Azura pressed her palm into her chest as she took a deep breath. "Alright," she said after composing herself. "I'm going to go look for help, alright? You…just stay here and do…what you're doing."

Corrin rolled his eyes. He was _paralyzed_. What else was he supposed to do? Get up and starting doing a waltz?

Azura smiled, grateful that he was still alive.

"I'll be right back, alright? Stay calm."

And just like that, she was gone. Save for the faint yellow glow emanating somewhere to his right, everything else was black. Corrin felt the familiar sensation of his throat closing in as he realized that he was still in the tunnel. Underground. _Alone_.

 _Oh gods, Azura, hurry up. I don't know how long I can stand this._

Time passed. Corrin didn't know how long he laid there on the stone floor. An hour? A day? A minute?

Whatever the case, after what felt like an eternity, Corrin could just barely hear the sound of metal boots clanking down the tunnel towards him. Corrin tried anything, lift his head, make a weak noise, wiggle his fingers, to try and dissuade the attacker.

To his everlasting surprise, the scarred and heavily-shadowed face of Gunter appeared over him. He looked nervously over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" he snapped, irritation creeping into his voice, though it was offset by the worry in his eyes. "We've been looking for you! We'd thought you've been separated from us again!"

Corrin tried to respond, to say _anything_ , but the most he could do was make a strange grunting sound and desperately flick his eyes downward. Gunter frowned as he noticed Corrin's unusual silence.

"What happened to you? Did something attack you?"

Corrin blinked once, then remembered only he and Azura knew their little code. He tried to simulate nodding his head by flicking his eyes up and down. Gunter sighed.

"Wait here. I'll be back with a healer," he ordered.

Corrin's eyes widened as he tried to call out his old friend's name, to tell him that Azura had already left to find a healer, but to no avail. Gunter rose from his haunches and set off again, the familiar clinking of his boots slowly fading away.

After what felt like another eternity, the sound of Gunter's boots returned, along with the soft pitter-patter of Sakura's and Azura's feet, along with a fourth set of boots that he couldn't quite place. His sister's trademark red hair flashed in the corner of his eye and Azura's pale face and Gunter's serious expression reappeared over him.

"…and then he was paralyzed," Azura finished saying. "Do you know how to cure him?"

A sigh sounded, and then the voice of Leo rang out. "Technically, yes, but I'll admit, such a method will not…be pleasant. For him."

Gunter frowned. "What do you mean?"

Leo cleared his throat. "Part of the paralyzing process is to freeze any and all nerves in a person's body, yet let enough nerves remain free and functional so that the body organs can continue functioning properly, such as his brain, lungs, and eyes. What this means, however, is that he can't feel pain or relief. Once I free Corrin, however, any wounds he's received since then will hit him immediately. _Hard._ "

Azura sighed. "Well, at least I know why he told me nothing hurt, despite the _giant_ burn mark on his armor."

Gunter's eyebrows shot up as he frowned. "How did this happen?" he asked.

"We were walking and talking," Azura explained. "He was asking me about Castle Gyges' dungeons, and I was giving him a brief history of it when it happened."

"What happened?" Leo asked. "Don't keep us waiting. The more I know, the easier it'll be for me to help him."

Sakura waved a healing rod over Corrin's body, whispering a few healing spells as she glanced at the trio out of the corner of her eye. He had been expecting the usual rush of relief that came with healing. Corrin followed her movements carefully.

"Corrin paused all of a sudden,"" Azura continued, "and then some _thing_ appeared out of the darkness and started to approach us. Corrin pushed me out of the way, but when I came to, he was like this." She gestured sadly to Corrin laying on the ground. "Paralyzed."

Leo rubbed his. "And you didn't hear them casting a spell?"

Azura shook her head. "No. All I heard was Corrin telling me to run, him pushing me out of the way, and then Yato falling to the ground."

Gunter grunted. "Likely story."

Azura peered at Gunter. "It's the truth, I swear! I promise, I had nothing to do with it!"

Leo waved a hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter. All that's important right now is that we cure Corrin. If we can't get him back on his feet, this whole mission is a failure."

Azura and Gunter pursed their lips, both wanting to continue their argument, but both also wishing to let Leo concentrate on his work. Leo frowned and opened up Brynhildr, flipping it through a series of pages until he found the one he was looking for.

"Ah, there it is. _Vaetna!_ "

Almost instantly, Corrin's limbs loosened, and his hair fell back to cover his eyes. That would've been fine, if it weren't for the sudden burst of pain billowing out on his chest, where the figure had struck him, followed almost immediately by the familiar sensation of healing afterwards.

"Huh _,"_ he said, rubbing his chest, the armor warm beneath his fingers. "You weren't kidding about everything being frozen."

Leo's face remained impassive, though the softening in his eyes gave away the fact that he was happy to see him healthy. Sakura murmured another healing spell under her breath.

"H-here," she muttered, pushing Corrin back down onto the floor. "Let me finish up r-real quick."

Corrin waved his hand dismissively as he groaned and sat back up. "It's fine, Sakura. Save your healing items for someone else. It doesn't hurt that bad. Might need to replace this suit of armor after all of this is over, though."

Cowed, Sakura drew back, clutching her stave close to her chest as she watched Corrin carefully sit back up. He pushed the hair out of his eyes.

He looked around. "Yato," he murmured. "Where's Yato?"

"Over here, milord." Gunter procured a rag from within his armor, wrapped it around the legendary blade, and gingerly handed it to Corrin. He took the blade, ran an eye over the length of it, to check for any damage when it clattered to the floor, before sheathing it. Gunter looked at him concernedly.

"Are…you sure you're alright?" he asked. "What happened? We managed to reach the end of the tunnel, which strangely enough led us to the castle dungeons when Azura suddenly ran out of the tunnel behind us without you. Understandably, I was a little bit suspicious, so I ran back into the tunnel, hoping to find you, and so, here you are."

Corrin groaned again as he felt the blood in his head boil. "I…I was attacked."

"By whom, milord? By whom?" Gunter resisted the urge to shake Corrin's shoulders.

"Do you know who attacked you? Do you know why they attacked you?"

Corrin frowned as he let Sakura touch the burn mark on his armor again. "I…I think it's the same person as the one who attacked me, and killed Scarlet when we were falling into Valla."

Gunter frowned. "Scar…let? The name doesn't sound familiar. Is she the Chevois wyvern rider with the flower pinned to her chest?"

Corrin nodded, before shaking his head to clear away the buzzing in his head. "Yeah. Whoever—or whatever—they were, they were using incredibly powerful magic. I've never been attacked like that before."

Gunter frowned as Azura helped Corrin to his feet. "They must've been planning to attack you while you were alone, milord. When Azura ran out of the tunnel without, babbling about some purple figure, I knew something was wrong."

"If this… _assassin_ is constantly hunting attacking Corrin, perhaps it would be prudent for us to hunt him down before he hunts us down?" Leo mused,

Corrin shook his head. "No, I don't think it's worth it, honestly."

"What do you mean 'it's not worth it?'" Gunter asked. "You were _attacked_ , milord. You were lucky it was a paralysis spell and not anything else. They could've _killed_ you."

"I don't think so," Corrin frowned. "If they _were_ trying to kill me, they wouldn't have been telegraphing their position by shouting, 'I am the forgotten dragon. The betrayed king. The entombed god.' I think you all know the rest."

"Then…if this same attacker is trying to catch you while you're separated from everyone else, does that mean they knew about how you were alone and separated from the rest of the group?" Gunter asked slowly. "You and Lord Ryoma might be right, milord. This spy could be part of our group."

Corrin sighed. "I know you and Ryoma are trying to look out for me, but we can't just automatically assume anything that attacks us is a part of our group. Remember, this is Anankos' realm. If he wanted to, he could probably create an entire group of assassins out of a single puddle and surround us. We can't just start accusing one another of being a spy—it'll tear our group apart—and no one, especially Scarlet, would've wanted that to happen."

"But you're certain that this is the same attacker that attacked you and the Chevois woman in the canyon?" Leo asked again.

Corrin hesitated. "Well, no, not really, but since we don't really have a choice, would it be that much more dangerous if we assumed they were the same person? I mean, they both said the same things, they both tried to attack me, and they both used the same sorts of weapons."

Gunter glared at Azura. "I, for one, believe Lord Corrin."

Azura unconsciously took a step back away from the knight looming over her. "I promise I'm telling you the truth!" she squeaked. "I wasn't the one who attacked Corrin!"

"Oh really?" Gunter growled. "Then how come instead of _yelling_ for us to come help you, how come you just left my liege alone? On the floor? _In the dark?_ When you knew he was claustrophobic? You were the only one with him when he was attacked!"

"W-wait, big brother, you're cl-c—you have claustrophobia?" Sakura asked.

"That's not important," Corrin snapped.

"I was trying to get help!" Azura protested. "It would've been safer for me to catch up to the rest of you to tell you about Corrin! We're trying to _sneak_ into Castle Gyges, not give away our position!"

Gunter glanced at Corrin out of the corner of his eye, who was frowning as he watched the two argue. "Milord, surely, you can't—"

"That's enough, Gunter," Corrin said, calmly raising a hand. "I know it's your duty to protect me, and that you…may not be the youngest by any means, which means you have experience in maters that the rest of us don't, but that doesn't mean everyone is automatically a threat to me. I trust Azura with my life, and there's no way that she would be willing to kill me. I was the one who pushed Azura out of the way. Hell, we were even talking about—"

"—he doesn't need to know that!" Azura yelped, her voice high and reedy again.

"…we were talking about… _personal_ issues," Corrin finished, glancing carefully at Azura. "So trust me when I say that Azura was _not_ the one trying to kill me.

Gunter frowned and opened his mouth again before Leo cut him off with a sharp slash of his arm.

"Furthermore," Leo interrupted, "this has been the second time you've accused Azura of being a Vallite spy—"

Corrin looked at Gunter and Leo in shock. "You _what?_ " Corrin asked Gunter.

Gunter's mouth became a grim slash. "It was after you were separated from us, milord. I thought Lady Azura would be the spy, since she was the only one among us with Vallite blood and—"

"—we've already made clear that any sort of accusation against members of the Nohrian throne could be considered an act of treason," Leo continued. "Therefore, should I hear that you've been badmouthing anyone else because you thought they were a Vallite spy, you'll have _me_ to answer to."

As if to accentuate his point, one of Leo's gloves suddenly burst into purple flames, illuminating the rest of the corridor and giving him a sinister appearance.

Gunter swallowed and bowed respectfully. "My apologies, Lord Leo. My apologies, Lady Azura. And most of all, my apologies to you, Lord Corrin. It's simply that the sight of that flower pinned to that Chevois' woman's chest as it burned away…I think its safe to say no one wants to see you meet the same fate, milord."

Corrin nodded, both satisfied and a bit miffed, while Leo and Azura narrowed their eyes suspiciously. "Do you really expect us to—" Azura started.

Corrin interrupted her by raising his hand. "That's enough, Azura. We're all friends here. We need to trust each other if we're going to have a shot at defeating Anankos."

Corrin turned towards Gunter and clasped a hand on his erstwhile retainer's shoulder. "Trust me, Gunter. I know about the spy, and I'm beginning to suspect it's someone in our group."

Gunter's scar deepened with worry. "But milord! Doesn't that mean…"

Corrin squeezed Gunter's shoulder. " _Trust_ me. I can take care of myself. I won't let my guard down, alright? As for you two…"

The half-dragon turned towards Azura and Leo. "Lay off of him, won't you? I know it hurts to be called a traitor, Azura, but you have to understand that it's his job to protect me and warn me against any potential enemies."

Azura looked like she was about to argue, but her face quickly reformed itself into her usual stoic mask. "If…if you say so," she murmured.

Leo crossed his arms and nodded once, a jerk of his head, but remained silent. Gunter shifted uneasily, but continued glaring at Azura whenever Corrin wasn't looking. Corrin looked around, rubbing the back of his head.

"Now, do any of you know which way the rest of us went?"

* * *

Ryoma and Xander both simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief as the forms of Corrin, Azura, Sakura, Leo, and Gunter appeared out of the darkness behind them.

"Oh thank the gods you're alright!" Camilla gushed as she wrapped Corrin in a bear hug. "I would've killed that dragon myself if you were hurt in anyway!"

"Camilla…can't…breath…stop!" Corrin grunted as he pushed her off of him. "You…really need to stop hugging me like that," he gasped. "It's…getting embarrassing."

Camilla pouted as she reluctantly released Corrin. Silas and Kaze both ran to him, apologizing deeply.

"Leo was just filling us in," Silas explained. "You alright?"

Corrin brushed off Silas' hand on his shoulder. "I'm fine, I'm fine," he said. "It was just a paralysis spell, nothing too major."

Silas shook his head. " _Just_ a paralysis spell, Corrin? Please, you were—"

"Lucky that it was a paralysis spell and not anything else," Corrin completed. "I know. Gunter gave me an earful on the way back to you guys."

"I should've been there by your side," Kaze said miserably. "I failed my duties as your retainer. _Again_."

Corrin clapped Kaze on the shoulder. "Trust me, it's fine," he said reassuringly. "I'm still alive, aren't I?"

Kaze frowned. "Yes, but—"

"It's _fine_ , Kaze," Corrin said. "You need to stop beating yourself every time something happens to me. I can take care of myself, alright?"

"But it's my duty to—"

"It's… _fine_."

Kaze opened his mouth to protest further, but instead closed it and swallowed, nodding. Corrin smiled.

"You're a good retainer, and an even better friend," Corrin said. "You don't need to feel guilty for me. Let _me_ , feel bad for _me._ "

"Alright, so what's going on?" Corrin said, brushing past Kaze and Silas. "What happened while I was…you know, paralyzed?"

They were stuck on the wrong side of a massive iron gate, the prongs sinking easily four or five inches into the decayed ground. The handlebars were turning brown with age. Beyond that, there was a series of cells lined up on either side. In the distance, a broken-down stair led to the second level of cells, where the remains of a ruined balcony and walkway stood. Corrin grasped the handlebars of the gate and peered around curiously.

"Was this the dungeons you were talking about, Azura?" Corrin asked.

Azura walked up behind him and peered out of the gate. "Oh my," she gasped.

Corrin turned towards her. "Azura?"

She flinched but quickly recovered. "Oh, um, yes, it is. I just…never expected it to be so…complete."

"Wait, what dungeon?" Ryoma asked. "What's wrong with it? Are we in the castle or not?"

Corrin unsheathed Yato, grimacing as the sound echoed throughout the dungeon. "Alright, long story short, Arete, Azura's mother, built this dungeon to control the growing rates of crime shortly before Anankos attacked. Everyone who was jailed in the dungeon when Anankos attacked remained trapped. To answer your second question, yes, we are on castle grounds, but still not in it, technically. We'll need to find our way out of here first before we can fight Anankos."

"Sounds easy enough," Takumi scoffed. "It's not like this place has any guard actively patrolling it, right?"

The words had barely left Takumi's lips before a figure with a familiar purple aura surrounding it turned the corner. If Corrin didn't know that Vallites were just puppets being manipulated by Anankos, he could've sworn that the guard's eyes widened in surprise at seeing forty-odd people crouched behind a locked gate.

The guard took a step back and began to turn—

"Kaze!" Corrin hissed.

Almost immediately, Kaze disappeared, and reappeared right next to the guard, some fifty-odd feet away. How, Kaze managed to travel so fast in such a short amount of time, even by Hoshidan ninja standards, Corrin would have to ask later, but for now, it was all he could do as he watched Kaze subdue the guard.

The guard dropped the polearm in his hands—the spear-like weapon would be nearly useless in such close quarters against an enemy—and struggled to unsheathe the thick shortsword on its belt. Before the guard could unsheathe so much as an inch, Kaze elbowed the guard in the stomach, before brutally planting a kunai in the guard's neck and kicking him over the side of the walkway, the guard turning into a steamy mist as he fell.

Kaze looked down at where the shortsword clattered against the rocks and waved towards Saizo. Saizo silently nodded and dropped to one knee as he ran his hands over the grimy and dusty stone wall next to the gate.

"What are you doing?" Ryoma asked.

Saizo grunted as he brushed aside an old and crumbling mosaic to reveal hidden lever, hidden away by dirt and time. "Searching for a hidden lever, milord," the surly ninja replied.

As one, the group backed away and held their breath as they waited for the gate to lift up. A few patches of dirt fell from the ceiling as the gate rumbled ominously, but beyond that, the gate remained stubbornly grounded. Saizo frowned as he glared up at Kaze, who stared back.

Saizo sighed. "Damn. There has to be another lever somewhere inside," he groaned.

Ryoma rolled his eyes and unsheathed Raijinto. "This is a waste of time," he said gruffly. "Everyone, stand back."

Xander frowned. "Ryoma, what are you—"

"Siegfried may be equal to Raijinto in terms of pure power and lethality, but the one aspect that Siegfried will never possess is Raijinto's extraordinary sharpness," Ryoma explained as he lined up the angle.

Xander's eyebrows furrowed. "That's…impossible," he muttered. "Both Siegfried and Raijinto were crafted by the Rainbow Sage. How could one be sharper than the other?"

"Maybe Siegfried can do a better job at cutting through these bars than Raijinto," Ryoma admitted, "but it is also here, that a samurai's training pays off, for not only do we focus on the art of war, but also on the art of cutting through as many objects as possible. For both practicality, and entertainment."

Leo rubbed his chin. "Intriguing."

Xander was still not convinced this was the best way to go. "But…but won't your idea make a lot of noise when they fall?"

Ryoma smirked. "Only if there's any guards around to hear it."

"Saizo! Kagero!" he called. "Is this area cleared?"

Almost immediately, both of the Hoshidan retainers reappeared on the other side of the gate, Saizo brandishing a multitude of new weapons.

"Yes, milord," Kagero said.

"And here is my proof," Saizo added, tossing the bundle of sheathed knives to the ground.

Xander's eyebrows nearly jumped off of his face. "How…did you…get past the gate—wait, weren't both of you just standing behind a minute ago—what's the me—"

Kagero winked at the Nohrian prince, an unusual display of levity for the usually serious ninja. "Hoshidan arts, Lord Xander. Hoshidan arts."

"To actually answer your question," Ryoma coughed into his fist, "while your retainers may boast some of the finest swordplay I've ever seen in a Nohrian—"

"Cheers!" Laslow chirped.

"—they lack many of the… _intricate_ arts and skills taught to Hoshidan ninjas at an early age, which includes the ability to phase into shadows, which admittedly perplexes me to no end."

And with that, Ryoma raised Raijinto high over his head and brought them down in a mighty blow across the rusty bars. Sparks of blue electricity jumped from the blade to the bars before winking out and dying. Saizo and Kagero jumped back, taking care to avoid touching the charged and smoking metal bars.

Three more times Ryoma struck, and with each strike, more bars fell clattering to the ground. Finally, with a flourish, Ryoma sheathed Raijinto and looked down at the iron rods rolling across the floor.

"And that's how it's done," he said with a confident smirk.

Corrin brushed passed him, taking a moment to step over the still smoking bars. One of the disadvantages of being barefoot all the time was that he had to watch his step literally all the time. He extended a hand to help Azura across, and before long, all of the party was across.

"What now?" Takumi asked, looking around the dungeon. The dungeon's ceiling was easily over fifty feet high, and the walls were easily far apart to allow a swarm of guards to pour in from the two doors standing ominously in the far corner of the room.

"Come on," Corrin waved. "Kaze, you know how to pick locks, don't you?"

The green-haired ninja nodded silently.

"Good. Take point then," Corrin ordered. "Open the _blue_ door, got it? The _blue_ door."

Takumi frowned. "How do you know that's the right door?"

"Because our mother told me so," Corrin replied.

Ryoma frowned. "That's impossible. Mother died years ago. How could she have told you?"

"When I was talking with Azura, before we headed into the tunnel, she told me about how she…sort of 'bumped into' one of her old retainers," Corrin explained. "She said that after stabbing him, he started…acting a lot more human, and less as a messenger for Anankos. Our mother explained to me that even though Anankos is using her as a puppet, her 'spirit remains her own.'"

"Horse-shod," Takumi said disbelievingly.

"That's what she told me," Corrin replied calmly. "I don't know if it's because our mother's will is that much stronger than the rest of the Vallites that we've fought so far, or if it's because Anankos, in his madness, accidently released her from his service prematurely, but so far, she's been acting relatively independently from his whims. In any case, after I was separated from the rest of the group, I woke up in a corridor, away from the rest of you. A couple Vallites tried to attack me, but before they could, I heard Mother's voice telling them that 'that was enough.'"

"How did you know it was our mother?" Ryoma asked, his voice stern

" _Because_ , Ryoma," Corrin explained patiently, "After I heard her voice, she appeared in front of me. She told me all about how you were in a duel with Father, and how it would be…difficult, to get the two of you to stop. Fortunately, by the time I found my way back to you guys, Sumeragi was already weakened, and you incapacitated."

Ryoma crossed his arms, his face full of both slight disapproval and shame. "Fortunately."

Corrin nodded. "Fortunately," he agreed. "She told me about how Hoshidan duels being really sacred, to the point where even Nohrians wouldn't dare to interfere."

"Well, at least that part's true," Takumi admitted. "I remembered a time where one of the nobles refused to partake in a duel. He didn't last a week after that."

"Anyways…" Corrin continued. "Our mother appeared in front of me, told me about how Ryoma and Father were having a Hoshidan duel, and told me that we'll be coming across a set of doors in a dungeon and that we should only open the blue doors unless we have a death wish."

"What do the red doors have that makes them so dangerous?" Hinoka asked.

Corrin rubbed the back of his head as he tried to remember. "She didn't really give a specific example. She just said a lot of…nasty stuff."

"Like…?"

"Spikes…pitfalls, the usual."

Ryoma nodded. "Ah, I see. So that's why we can only open the blue doors. The red doors have traps behind them, right?"

Corrin nodded. "Yep."

Hinoka twirled a lock of hair thoughtfully in her hand. "Mother must be trying to work against Anankos all this time. That's why she appeared to you, right?"

"Er, well, she never told me _why_ she appeared to me," Corrin stammered. "All she asked me to do was to defeat Anankos for her and to open the blue doors. That's it, basically."

Takumi folded his arms and frowned. "Well, I suppose if it means seeing Mother one last time, I guess this could be worth it."

Corrin glanced around at the four Hoshidan royals around him. Ryoma seemed satisfied with the amount of evidence Corrin had presented him. Sakura and Hinoka hugged each other eagerly in relief, glad for the opportunity to see their mother again, while Takumi seemed to flicker between being skeptical of Corrin's claims and being hopeful to see their mother again.

Behind them, Kaze gave a satisfied chuckle as the lock opened with an echoing _click_. Everyone turned towards the green-haired ninja as the doors swung open of their own accord.

On the other side, two Vallite guards stood at attention, unaware of the group standing behind them. Without hesitation, Kaze and Corrin both unsheathed their weapons, clamped their hands over the guards' mouths, and promptly slit their throats.

The guard's weapons clattered to the floor as their owners disintegrated. Kaze peeked cautiously into the room before abruptly withdrawing his head. He raised four fingers.

Saizo nodded as Kagero leaned in next to Corrin. "There's four guard in this chamber," she explained. "Two guarding the doors leading to the next chamber, and two patrolling the floor."

Corrin looked at her, bewildered. "How did—?"

Silas slipped behind Corrin as he peeked into the room. "Corrin, we have to take them out quietly," the paladin whispered urgently. "We can't risk having them alert the rest of the guards."

Corrin nodded grimly. He gestured towards Kaze, Saizo, Kagero, and Takumi. "I'm sorry that you'll have to do all the hard work, but it'll be easiest for all of us if you three," he pointed towards Kaze, Saizo, and Kagero, "assassinate the guards while Takumi takes out whoever you don't kill."

Kaze lifted a veil over his face as the lines around his eyes deepened. "No need to apologize, milord," the green-haired ninja stated. "It's our jobs."

"Agreed," Saizo murmured.

Corrin sighed and pushed back his hair. "Alright then, you have your orders. Go."

* * *

They repeated this process two more times. Once for the room they were just in, and another time for the room after that. Like before, it was Kaze who picked the lock. While waiting for the ninja to finish his business, Keaton and Kaden literally sniffed around the dungeon, eventually returning with an oddly shaped sword with a hole in the middle of the blade and some sort of mask.

Odin shakily took the mask, his hands shaking ever so slightly. "No way," he murmured, his extravagant speech forgotten. "That's impossible!"

Laslow likewise held the sword gingerly. "How is this possible? I thought—"

"Something wrong?" Xander asked.

Laslow and Odin hastily cleared their throats. Odin unceremoniously stuffed the mask in his back pocket while Laslow unclipped his current sword from his waist and strapped on the sword the wolfskin and kitsune found.

"Nothing, milord," Laslow fibbed. "I…just found an old keepsake."

Xander frowned. "Well, make sure you don't let your urge for looting distract you. We're still in the middle of a battle."

"Of course not," Laslow replied. He turned back to Odin.

"This can't be!" he murmured to Odin.

"But yet, it is!" the mage replied forlornly.

"Do you think…?"

"Well, she _did_ disappear after, you know, the whole thing."

"Yeah, but if her things are here, what does that mean…?"

"Hey, Odin, Laslow, pay attention!" Leo snapped. "We're in the middle of one of the most delicate moments in the combined history of Hoshido and Nohr, and you have the gall to stand around whispering among yourselves?"

"Ah, forgive us, Lord Leo," Laslow apologized bowing deeply. "We…simply found a familiar memory."

"A memory from our homeland, to be precise!" Odin added in, knowing that it was probably easier to admit the half-truth than it was to create a lie on the spot.

Leo frowned, knowing he was venturing on dangerous territory. Normally, Odin was a cheerful and optimistic individual, but whenever their conversations turned to his homeland, the blond mage would become uncharacteristically sulky and quiet.

"I see," Leo said, rubbing his chin. "Well, just like Xander said, we're in the middle of a battle. Don't get distracted."

Laslow and Odin bowed deeply again. "By your will, Lord Leo," Odin affirmed. He glanced nervously at Selena, who was casually stealing glances at the two of them. All three of the knew their plan was coming into fruition. It was just a matter of time. This…complicated things, though.

"Laslow."

"Hm?"

"Should…should we tell her?"

"…"

"Laslow?"

"…Probably. All we found was her things, but not, you know…a body. She could still be alive."

"Hopefully."

"Yeah. Hopefully."

* * *

After eliminating all of the guards in the chamber, the group rushed in and up a set of stairs leading to the last set of blue and red doors. Laslow, Odin, and Selena were still whispering to each other, even as the group shuffled nervously. According to Corrin, this should be the last door they need to pass through before finally confronting Anankos.

With a final _click_ , the door swung open, depositing them into another massive corridor running for what Corrin guessed was close to a quarter mile, which would undoubtedly take them deep inside the castle. At the far end was another set of doors, similar to those they had just passed through, but golden in color and covered in pattern silver that glowed beautifully in the light of the flameless lanterns mounted at regular intervals along the walls.

As a result of the years of negligence and the fact that a dragon was busy occupying the castle, pieces of rubble were strewn about the hallway. A couple of bones and pieces of scatted the floor, and more ominously, dried blood splatters lined up against the floors and walls.

Dozens more smaller passageways branched off to either side, though thankfully, none were large enough for a dragon to pass through. Silver banners embroidered with Anankos personal emblem, Valla's national symbol with an orb covered in eyes behind it, hung along the walls every couple dozen feet. Other than that, the hall remained bare.

Corrin assumed the throne room was on the other side of the golden doors, but he doubted it would be as easy to reach as it appeared.

"This is the castle now, isn't it?" he asked Azura.

Azura nodded silently.

The sheer size of the passageway was intimidating enough, but the sheer emptiness and _silence_ made Corrin that much more nervous. Curiously, Corrin noticed everything sounded… _muted_ , as if a thick cloth had been clamped over his ears.

He gestured to Azura and pointed to his ears. Azura nodded.

"I can feel it too," she responded, her voice sounding muffled and faraway.

Glancing back, Corrin noticed that they were not the only ones feeling the effect of the 'silence.' Kaden and Keaton were pawing at their ears, or in Keaton's case, messily picking at his ear with a finger. Leo frowned and looked around.

"What's wrong with our hearing? Do you feel that?"

Corrin nodded. "I feel it too."

He found it puzzling that Anankos had not already attacked them with waves after waves of undead soldiers, but for now, Corrin was glad for the reprieve. He remained acutely aware of close they were to Anankos and their final goal. The entire citadel seemed to be watching them.

"This isn't right," Azura muttered.

"What's wrong?" Corrin asked.

"Everything's…too quiet. Where are the guards? Where are the traps? Surely, he would've had _some_ sort of protection, right?"

"Then he has to know we're here," Ryoma said. " _All_ of us."

"Then we'd better make haste," Leo said. "We can't afford any distractions, tempting some of them may be." He gestured with his head toward a chamber labelled as 'Library.' He had barely taken a step forward before the castle shook around them.

"What was that?" Elise yelped, clutching her healing rod closer to her chest.

Corrin cursed. "Damn, we need to split up."

"Split up?" Silas asked. "Why?"

"Remember the plan? The main army was supposed to launch a diversionary assault on the castle gates, thus allowing _us_ ," he gestured to himself and everyone behind him, "to sneak into the castle, where we can open the gate and let the rest of our reinforcements in."

"And where are the gates, do you think?"

"To the left, down the hall, fifth door on the right."

Everyone blinked in shock as Azura answered the question.

"How…do you know that?" Elise asked.

Embarrassed, and also recognizing the danger of the situation, Azura unconsciously stepped closer to Corrin. "Oh, well, um, I said before that I grew up in Castle Gyges. Wouldn't it make sense for me to retain _some_ memories of this place?"

"But you said you were barely three when you and mother left," Gunter said. "How could you know where the gate controls are if you were only three?"

Azura opened her mouth to argue again, but Corrin beat her to the chase. "That's enough, Gunter. Stand down," he ordered. "I know we're all a little on edge, and I'm sure talk of a spy has reached your ears, but this is no time for us to fall apart. At the end of this corridor," he pointed towards the golden doors, "is our true enemy. _There_ , not here, among friends. Yes, somebody among us may have shifting loyalties, but we can't afford to fall apart like this when we're so close, alright? We just need to hang in there for little bit while longer. We can deal with the spy once we deal with Anankos."

Leo scoffed. "You sound like that's going to be easy."

Corrin glared at Leo. "Careful there, Leo," he glowered. "Just because you're a royal doesn't mean your loyalties aren't suspect."

Cowed, Leo bit his tongue. Corrin grimaced. He hadn't meant for his words to come out so harshly, but as Corrin looked around at his group of friends and allies, he could feel a tiny part of him whispering _One of them is a spy._

Corrin shook his head and kneaded the bridge of his nose with a single hand.

"Corrin? Are you alright?" Ryoma asked.

Corrin shook his head again to clear the voice and nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I'm alright. Just feeling a little bit tired. It'll pass."

He pointed towards Azura, Gunter, Silas, Ryoma, Sakura, Elise, Xander, Takumi, Leo, Hinoka, and Camilla. "All of you, come with me. We'll need as much royal blood as we can get if we're going to have a shot at this."

Laslow frowned. "What about us retainers? Some of us have a job, you know!"

Corrin frowned back at the silver-haired retainer. "Where did you get that—you know what? Doesn't matter. Fine. Anyone who _isn't_ a retainer, you're part of the group responsible for getting the gates open. That means people like Subaki, Hana, Selena,, Laslow, everyone who's a retainer. Those people come with us. You may not have royal blood in you, but you were chosen because of your ability to protect them, and that says something about you. Everyone else, you're responsible for getting the gate open."

"Are you sure, about this, milord?" Gunter asked. "The second force seems awfully small compared to the rest of the group. Splitting up our forces like this is the fastest way to—"

"I'm sure, Gunter," Corrin said wearily. Already, he could start to feel the weariness weigh on his shoulders. "If we don't have the support of the armies behind us, we don't stand a chance. None of us do. I know the second group is pitifully small compared to the group responsible for taking down Anankos, but so far, there's been no guards. We should take advantage of the situation as much as we can."

"Just because there's no guards doesn't mean there won't be later," Takumi pointed out.

"You have oyur orders," Corrin glowered. "Just follow them through. I mean, come on. When have I ever let you done with my orders?"

At this, the group shifted uncomfortably. All of them had followed through on Corrin's orders once or twice, ridiculous as some of them might be, and every time, they've emerged victorious.

To everyone's surprise, Elise stepped forward. "He's got a point," she said in her squeaky voice. "Sure, big brother's strategies may have been odd at some points, but his strategies always worked out for us in the end."

That sealed the deal.

After a few grumbles, and embraces, the group separated. Mozu threw her arms around Kaze's neck, and it was only after a moment's hesitation that he returned the gesture. Selena and Subaki whispered something to each other before filing in behind their respective lieges. Caeldori looked between her parents, confused.

"Uh, Lord Corrin?"

"Yes, Caeldori?"

"Uh, who do I go with? Since, you know, both of my parents are retainers but I'm not."

Corrin blinked. He'd forgotten about the children. Yes, children were rare, but Selena had pulled a few strings with one of her acquaintances, an Anna, and managed to open a portal to what they called a "deeprealm". Corrin could still remember the look of shock and pure unadulterated _joy_ on Laslow's and Odin's faces when Subaki and Selena emerged, a bit worn down and tired-looking, yet satisfied as a third figure emerged from behind them.

Selena explained the whole ordeal, in her own brash way, of course. She explained of how during the course of preparations for Valla's invasion, she and Subaki slowly fell for each other. After several months together, they inexplicably vanished every couple of days throughout the month, whereupon one of the merchant Annas stationed in Corrin's castle explained how she opened up a deeprealm portal for them to _finish their business_.

The Anna explained how time was drastically slowed down for those in the deeprealm. Two days translated to nearly a year in the deeprealm, and a month translated to nearly fifteen years.

Whenever Corrin asked Subaki or Selena about where they've been going, they would simply blush, glance each other, and avoid the question. It was only they disappeared and reemerged with Caeldori that everything fell into place.

During the course of the entire explanation, the only thing running through Corrin's head was: _This entire thing sounds like bullsh—time acceleration? Alternate pocket dimensions? What is this?_

At first, Corrin was tempted to lash out at them for trying to pull the wool over his eyes, but after Caeldori somehow managed to twist his words into agreeing to forgive her parents and let them continue to serve in their respective roles—much to everyone's amusement—he tried to prevent Caeldori from fighting in the war. He had been against the idea of sending children into battle, even alongside their parents. That all changed when Caeldori managed to nearly floor her father in a training session.

 _That_ changed Corrin's perspective on things. Sure, it wasn't a victory, since Subaki managed to win by _just_ few strands of both skill and luck, but he let it slip that anyone good enough to topple one of the best Pegasus Knights in the Hoshidan army was probably deserving to become part of Corrin's personal guard. That, plus the fact that when it came to overseeing menial tasks such as counting the number of spears in the Hoshidan armies, Subaki had been more than willing to surrender his role to his daughter.

"Lord Corrin?"

Caeldori ogled him with those familiar red eyes, the same kind of eyes whenever Selena asked him to break open his purse to buy some sort of dress for her whenever they were in a market buying supplies for the market. With Azura supervising, of course.

Corrin blinked again and shooed her away dismissively. "Uh, yeah, you can go with our parents. Technically, since they're both retainers, that responsibility passes on to you."

Caeldori frowned. "That's…not how it works…"

"Go. You have your orders."

Corrin wiped his hands free of sweat on the edges of his cape as he looked around.

The second group, led by Charlotte and Benny, set off towards the passageway Azura described. Corrin watched them disappear into the room as sounds of faint sounds fighting broke out. Suppressing a grin, he motioned for the rest of them to continue on their way. As they walked down the corridor towards the golden doors, they expected with every step to see dozens of Vallite soldiers rising out of the shadows pervading the ruined chamber. But the rest of the gargantuan hallway proved to be free of any obstacles, which bothered Corrin.

The fight with Sumeragi, had, what, taken place less than two hours ago? Plus the fight with Arete, and him getting lost, and the bridge, and Anthony, plus the long march to the bridge, Corrin could feel the fatigue and wanting to curl up in a ball to sleep forever starting to pervade itself through his body. He rubbed his forehead again and flinched when he felt a familiar pair of slender hands touching his shoulders.

"Corrin? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Azura," he replied, looking up at the shining expanse of gold. "Let's do this."

Embossed across the doors was a life-sized oak tree, the branches and leaves of which formed an arching canopy with what appeared to be scratches carved into each leaf. Sprouting from either side of the trunk's midsections were two thicker bundles of branches, which dived the space within the make-shift circle into thirds. In the top-left quarter was a carving of what appeared to be Nohrian Calvary riders galloping intensely through a dark and convoluted forest, their weapons raised over their heads and mouths open in preparation to utter some sort of war cry. In the top-right was what-appeared to be two samurai staring squarely into each other's eyes, the tip of each samurai's sword buried within the chest of the other. In the bottom, Vallites scholars—it had to be Vallites—huddled in the corner of some forgotten library, their eyes flickering over the texts of the book they each held in their hands. And in the center, coiled in the very center of the bole of the tree was a dragon that curled the end of its tail around its head.

The doors were beautifully crafted, and under different circumstances, Corrin would've been content to sit and study them for most of a day. As it was, the sight of the shining doors filled him with a cold feeling he hadn't felt since the day in the Shirasagi Castle Town, when he saw Azura lying prone on the ground, gasping for breath.

It was fear.

Corrin blinked in surprise as he realized the scratches carved into the leaves of the tree weren't scratches at all, but rather names. Save for couple of leaves reading _Anankos, , Theophilus, Arete, and Azura,_ the rest were all scratched out or blurred by time.

"It's the Vallite Royal Family Tree," Azura explained. "I…I never thought it would remain so…so _undamaged_.

"Azura…your name's on here," he murmured, still looking over the tree.

"Of course it is," came the soft reply. "I'm a Vallite princess, am I not?"

Azura's eyes widened in shock as her eyes rested on a familiar name. "Wait—Corrin, look! Your name's on here too!"

Corrin frowned. "What? No—that's impossible! I'm not a Vallite!"

"But yet, you are," said a woman's voice sadly from behind them.

They all instantly turned around, unsheathing and training their weapons at the woman standing behind them.

Takumi lowered Fujin Yumi. "Mother?" he blurted.

"Mother!" Sakura ran forward, her arms wide open before Ryoma harshly pulled her back.

"Don't!" he admonished. "We don't know if this is a trap or not."

"Hello, my children," Mikoto said, spreading her arms apart. "It's so good to see you again. I see Corrin managed to lead you through my traps unharmed."

Corrin stepped forward, Yato unsheathed. "I thought you said we were supposed to meet Anankos last, most trusted servant."

Mikoto nodded sadly. "Yes, you were, but before you open those doors, there's something I must tell you."

She reached out towards Corrin, but after a moment's hesitation, drew her hand back as if she's been burned.

"Do you remember about what your father told you about the betrothal between you and Azura?"

Corrin nodded. "What about it?"

"Well, there was another reason besides political and economic reasons. The truth is…I am a Vallite princess as well."

"You're _what_?" The words were out before Corrin could stop. He stared at his mother. In disbelief.

"How…how can this be? Does...does that mean that we're..." Corrin glanced at Azura, and to his surprise, the only sign of surprise written on her face was a slight lifting of her eyebrows.

Mikoto sighed. "Yes. You and Azura are cousins."

As if to accentuate her words, she waved her arm towards the golden family tree beset into the doors behind them. A leaf suddenly started to shine brighter than the rest. Corrin squinted at the leaf and realized that on it was scratched the name _Mikoto,_ and directly below it, next to Azura's name, was _Kamui_ , Corrin's birth name

Corrin's jaw dropped. Ryoma and Xander both gave each other a look of surprise. Elise somehow stopped jumping up and down in excitement as she noticed the silent shock spreading across the group. Takumi clenched Fuji Yumi closer to his body, the tips of his ears turning red as Leo looked on in his usual manner of aloof disinterest, though the fact that he snapped the covers of Bryhildr together meant he was just as surprised as the rest of them.

Corrin turned on Azura. "Did you know?"

The question was short, curt, and to the point. Azura's stepped backward involuntarily. Rare was the time he was angry, but when he was, it was unmistakeable.

"…No," she finally answered. "I didn't know."

Corrin's eyes narrowed. "And how am I supposed to believe you?"

"Because I never told her," Mikoto said sadly.

"Queen Arete, Azura's mother, was my sister," she continued. "After we arrived in Hoshido and Nohr, respectively, we soon discovered about the curse Anankos put on Valla's name. If you say Valla's name outside of it, then—"

"—then you'll turn into water and die," Azura finished.

"We know," Corrin said. "It's what took us so long to unite Nohr and Hoshido."

Mikoto's eyebrows lifted in surprise, and her hands moved to cover her mouth. "So you actually did it? You really managed to unite Hoshido and Nohr together?"

"Uh, sort of," Takumi said, being the first one to overcome his shock. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I thought you knew? Does Anankos not tell you anything?"

Mikoto bit her lips. "Well, I purposefly withheld information from myself, since he's able to access the memories of all under his thrall. Had I found out that you were actually successful in uniting Hoshido and Nohr, I would've been powerless to stop him from knowing.

She opened her mouth to continue, but after a moment's hesitation, closed it again and choked down the words she had been about to say. "Beyond that…I can't tell you anything."

"Why not?" Corrin asked, irritated at hearing those same words again. "Don't tell me that you're going to pull a page out of Azura's book and not tell me anything about myself."

Mikoto pursed her lips. "You shouldn't be so angry towards her, Corrin. I can vouch for her

"What _can_ you tell us then?"

"I can tell you about the way the nobles and common folk treated me after I became queen of Hoshido," she said. Mikoto looked at Azura, sadness deep within her eyes.

"Oh, my dear Azura. I remember all the times you cried in your room about how unfair the other nobles in Hoshido treated you. The suspicious glares thrown your way, and the dirty slurs uttered under their breath whenever they were sure only you could hear them. I know how—"

"I know," Azura replied. "I remember you not doing anything." She cringed at how harshly the words came out. "Er—actually, sorry. That was a bit harsh. What I meant was I remember you not being able to do much at the time."

"You have to understand, I _wanted_ to help you!" Mikoto wailed. "You reminded me so much about me and my own sister's own court life, the abuse and distrust of those around me! I _wanted_ to help you, to tell you who I really was, but—"

"—but the curse got in the way," Azura finished. "I know.

"W-wait, what do you mean they mistreated you?" Corrin asked. " _Why_ did they mistreat you?"

Mikoto sniffed. "You have to understand, that nobody knew about my history as being a Vallite princess. To the commoners, I was little more than a lucky woman who caught Sumeragi's eye and took me in as a concubine. To the nobles, they believed that I had seduced him into letting me take power away from them."

Mikoto sighed and looked down. "Sumeragi—despite his personality—was smart, but more importantly, well-versed in the art of politics, almost as much as I was When he took me in, he said nothing to the general public. Publicly, I didn't exist, and even if I did, no one would've noticed nor cared. Even though I later married him, it was only until his death and people started asking questions about who the next ruler should be when it people started to notice me."

"What did they do?" Azura asked.

Mikoto glanced at Azura guiltily. "Everything they did to you, but worse. They knew they had the popular support. They could afford to take a few casualties here and there, whereas since you were always so naturally…reserved. Only a select few could see you, and if you ever felt unsafe or insulted by them, it would've been an infinitely easier task to track down one noble among a court of fifty people, than a dozen men among an entire nation."

Azura blinked in surprise. "I…I didn't know."

Mikoto sighed again. "I know. There's a lot of things you don't know about me. Like my relationship with your mother, for example."

Corrin hissed, cat-like. "So you never told Azura about us. About how we were cousins by blood."

Azura glanced at Corrin out the corner of her eye and looked at Mikoto with a pained expression. "Looking back, I could understand why you never said anything to the other nobles. You needed to keep our relationship a secret, and the secret of our bloodline even more so. But could you really not have written everything down on a note or something and passed it to me? The curse only works if you say Valla's name verbally."

"That's what your mother thought too!" Mikoto wailed.

Azura frowned. "E-excuse me? What…what do you mean?"

"She thought she could circumvent the curse by writing down Valla's name on a piece of paper. You know what happened next."

"How did you know she wrote down Valla's name?" Azura asked. "She never told me—well, actually, I suppose if she actually did, it would've been impossible for her to—"

"But she told me!" Mikoto wailed. "The night she died, she sent me a message telling me what she planned to do. She was going to write down everything about Valla and our situation before passing it along to someone who she could trust. I begged, _begged_ , her to use a different method, but she wouldn't listen and she paid the price for it!"

Mikoto's voice choked in her throat as she stared down at her hand, which was slowly reaching forward towards Corrin and Azura. A bow spontaneously appeared, and with it, a quiver of arrows on her back. She looked at the weapon in terror.

"Oh no."

"What's wrong?" Corrin asked.

"I'm…so…so sorry. Anankos has found out about my betrayal," she said, tears continuing to flow over her eyes. "And so he's decided to punish me in the most horrific of ways."

Corrin frowned. "W-what do you mean? What are you doing?"

Her arm stiff, Mikoto nocked an arrow to the bowstring. "Anankos has decided to take personal control over my body, yet allows my thoughts and words to remain my own, even as my body is forced to follow his will. He's forcing me to watch as I strike down my own son and niece, while I remain helpless to do anything."

"I thought you said she could act independently!" Takumi shouted towards Corrin.

Corrin looked between his brother and mother, lost. Behind Corrin, Hinoka and Sakura covered their mouths in horror. Ryoma closed his eyes and looked away. Xander, Leo, and Camilla's fists were all clenched. Elise hugged Azura fearfully, as Azura stared intensely towards the raven-haired woman in front of Corrin, her eyes never moving, never blinking. Corrin noticed how loosely Raijinto and Siegfried hung in their owner's sheaths.

"I-I…"

"It's alright, Corrin," Mikoto said gently, though tears continued to stream down her face. "I know what you have to do, and please, trust me when I say that I won't be angry at you."

"I'm sorry, mother," Corrin said. "I'll…I'll try to make it as quick and painless as possible."

Ryoma and Xander both started. "What? What are you talking about?" Ryoma asked.

Corrin opened his mouth to reply but froze as an arrow suddenly carved a brand new trench through his hair. The arrow embedded itself with a _thunk_ in the door behind Corrin. He shakily raised his hand to feel the groove carved into his hair.

Mikoto gritted her teeth as she grimaced. "Please, Corrin!" she begged. "You have to kill me! I can't resist Anankos' will any longer! He's still trying to learn how to properly control my body, but once he figures out how to, there's no way you can stop him!"

Corrin swallowed, hard, and raised Yato. "I'm sorry, Mother. I truly am."

Mikoto gave him a pained smile. "I know."

Walking as if he was a doomed man with all of the world's burdens on his shoulders, Corrin strode purposefully towards Mikoto, pausing only to sidestep an arrow. He stopped in front of Mikoto and raised Yato in preparation for the fatal stab. Too slowly, too clunkily, Mikoto legs forced her away from Corrin, only for him to shove Yato through her abdomen.

She screamed, a terrible keening sound that was sure to haunt Corrin's nightmares for the rest of his life as Yato slid effortlessly out of his mother's body. The bow dissipated into water, along with the arrows and quiver, as she fell onto the floor, her arms splayed out beside her.

Yato dropped to the floor, covered in blood as Corrin cradled her in his arms. As if a spell had been broken, everyone crowded around the two of them. Ryoma, Takumi Sakura, Azura, and Hinoka shoved their way to front, with Reina and Orochi close behind.

"Mother?"

Mikoto weakly raised a hand to cup Corrin's cheek. "I'm…so sorry for trying to kill you. I should've been stronger for you. I should've tried to warn you beforehand."

Corrin covered her hand with his own. "I know. I know how all of this is Anankos' fault, how it was his power that brought you back, yet how It controlled you."

Mikoto chuckled, a short bark of laughter that contained no mirth. "And here I was hoping that I could resist him. I'm a fool. I've been a terrible mother."

She met Corrin's eyes. "Can you forgive me?"

Corrin frowned. "Forgive you for what?"

"For all but abandoning you to Nohr. For trying to force you to adjust to your old life, before you were kidnapped. For not telling you about your true heritage. For leaving you alone in this cruel world, to deal with Anankos."

"No, it's fine," he replied, struggling to hide the tears welling in his own eyes. "I never hated you for those things, and I never will. Though I'll admit the bit about me actually being Vallite royalty caught me off-guard."

Beside him, Sakura tried to hide a sob in her sleeve, but failed. Mikoto's tear-filled eyes wandered over to her youngest daughter.

"Oh, come here, Sakura," she crooned. "I've missed you!"

Sakura bit back another sob as she tried to wipe her face free of tears. She gave Mikoto a tear-stained smile before she suddenly dove forward and wrapped her arms around her mother's shoulders, ignoring the blood seeping into her dress. Mikoto blinked, surprised, before wrapping her own hands around her daughter's back.

"It's so good to see you again," she whispered. "You've grown so big and beautiful the last time I saw you! Your smile is so beautiful now—I almost forgotten what it looked like."

Sakura smiled again. Mikoto wiped a stray tear line away from her cheek with a finger as she caressed her daughter's cheek. "Promise me one thing, Sakura."

"One thing?" Sakura squeaked.

"One thing," Mikoto affirmed. "Don't worry, it's not hard," she added on after Sakura hesitated

"W-what do you want me to do?" Sakura asked.

Mikoto smiled back. "I want you to smile more."

"That's…that's it?"

Mikoto nodded. "You are the flower that brings everyone joy. Your smile is a radiant sunshine on everyone's moods, and—"

Whatever words she meant to say were drowned as Sakura threw her arms again around her. Takumi and Hinoka soon joined her. Ryoma and Azura stood back, though judging by their solemn expressions, it was clear they too wished to join their siblings, but couldn't. Corrin managed to extricate him a split second before Takumi, Hinoka, and Sakura buried his mother with tears and hugs before settling down next to Azura. He gently squeezed her hand. To his relief, she squeezed back.

"Don't think I forgot about you two," came Mikoto's muffled voice. Flushed, Takumi and Hinoka both hastily withdrew.

"I-I'm so sorry mother," Hinoka apologized. "We're…we're just so happy—"

"No need to apologize, Hinoka," Mikoto said gently. "I'm just afraid I won't be able to spend any more time addressing each of you individually."

"It's okay," Takumi said, wiping his nose on the back of his hand. "We're all just so happy to see you again."

Behind him, Ryoma shuffled. "You were gone so quickly," he said in his deep voice. "And so much has happened since. We never had anytime to grieve for your death. Could you ever forgive us?"

Mikoto sighed. "Of course I forgive you, Ryoma. Why wouldn't I?"

Ryoma shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. "I…I don't know if there's enough time in the world for it to pass by before we can finally accept your death as it is. I just…I just wish you could've seen what we accomplished."

"Oh, but I did!" Mikoto replied. "You united Nohr and Hoshido, an in a matter of a months, too! It took me and my sister nearly half our lives to convince the other side to stop stabbing each other, but it only took you and Prince Xander less than a year!"

"Actually, Corrin did most of that," Takumi admitted guiltily. "In all honesty, while _some_ of us wanted to go to war with Nohr," he cast a pointed glance towards Hinoka, "I'm glad we didn't."

"And why's that?" Mikoto asked teasingly. "Have you found someone… _special_ to you?"

Takumi's face flushed a brilliant red. "W-what? No! It's just…It's just some of them could be pretty nice."

"Can you say that again, Takumi? You sort of trailed off there at the end."

"I said that some of them were pretty nice!" Takumi snapped. His eyes widened. "Oh gods, I'm _so_ sorry. I didn't mean to—"

Mikoto chuckled softly. "It's alright," she said gently. "I was only teasing you. And what about you, Hinoka? What do you feel about Nohr?"

Hinoka shrugged. "I'm with Takumi with this one. Admittedly, I wasn't expecting all of our Nohrian allies to be so… _un-Nohrian_."

"Lies often twist and disrupt visions of reality," Mikoto sighed. "Trust me, I would know, since I'm no stranger to them."

The conversation between her and the rest of her children faded into the background as Corrin pulled Azura away from the voices by her arm.

"Don't lie to me this time," he said, pressing her back against a pillar. "Did you know?"

"Corrin…" Azura said.

"Don't 'Corrin,' me," he replied. "I know its hard for you to tell other people your secrets, and I've always let you keep that habit, but this is one where I can't ignore. This isn't something you can keep to yourself! _Did you know about us being cousins or not?_ "

Azura sighed and averted her gaze towards Mikoto. Corrin's red eyes followed hers. "No." she whispered. "I never knew. She never told me anything about my mother other than she once knew her well enough to call her a friend. She said a lot of cryptic things that only a Vallite would know, so I knew she had _some_ Vallite ties, and with her relationship of my sister, I assumed that she simply knew her, but she never said that my mother was her sister."

Corrin released his grip. "Are you sure you're not lying?"

Azura nodded. "Yes."

"Swear to me that you're telling me the truth."

"I swear," she said instantly. "I swear on my life that I am telling you the truth about how I never knew about the fact that we were cousins."

Corrin sighed. "Alright then," he said, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "I know this isn't exactly the best time, but while we're here…what's going to become of us?"

Azura frowned. "What do you mean?"

"What's going to happen to us? I mean, we're cousins, and I heard before that that sort of relationship between family is looked down upon. What're we going to do once, you know, this whole thing is over? Assuming we win and survive, of course."

"First off," she started. "We _will_ win. We've come too far just to accept defeat. Second, marriages between cousins are only looked down upon among commoners," she explained. "Commoners couldn't do that for a…multitude of reasons, but it was common among the higher classes to marry their children off to their cousins, in order to carry on the royal bloodline.

Corrin's lips pursed. "Yes, but—"

"And we _are_ both Vallite royalty now, so that's considered acceptable in most places," she quipped, trying to lighten the tension.

"That's not funny," Corrin growled, his voice suddenly angry. "What are we going to do? I love you, but it just doesn't feel sit right with me to love you _that_ way while all the while knowing that we're practically family."

Azura's mind was racing. If she said the wrong thing, everything would be over. Part of her was screaming that now was possibly the worst time to talk about this topic, the other part was screaming over the first part that if she didn't fix this whole situation now, she might as well let Anankos win, right then and there.

"I…" She closed her eyes, trying to find the right words to say.

Meanwhile, Corrin crossed his arms as he ran his eyes over Azura's features, trying to discern her thoughts. It wasn't easy, giving how secretive she was, but the amount of time it took for her to reply either meant she was trying to psych herself up to tell him the bad news, or she was trying to find the right words that could get them both out of this mess. Corrin fervently hoped it was the latter.

"What do you want?" she asked suddenly.

Corrin blinked. "What…do I want?"

"Yes." Azura's eyes slowly fluttered open. "What do you want to do?"

"I'm…I'm not sure," he admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "On one hand, part of me just can't wrap my head around the fact that we're cousins. On the other hand…well…"

Azura braced herself. Normally, it was Corrin who wore his heart on his sleeve, not her. But if she didn't tell him what they needed to hear, then nothing between them would ever be the same. She lifted Corrin's chin, and he flinched at the contact.

"That's not what I was asking. Answer the question: _what. Do. You. Want?._ "

Corrin opened his mouth to reply, shut it again, and opened it again while rubbing the back of his head.

"Corrin, I would be lying if I said that I wasn't…let's say, _attracted_ , to you from the very first moment we met at that lake," Azura said. "Who cares if we're cousins? Like I said, we're both royalty, and such practices are common among royals. You're part dragon, and yet I still fell for you. What does being your cousin change then?"

"Those are two completely different—"

"Whatever happens, either today, or after today, I believe it was our fate to meet each other. To fall in love. To defeat Anankos. I believe that we were destined to be tied together from the very beginning, and what holds us together will be stronger than anything else in the world. I just have this feeling in me that somehow, I've always loved you, and I always will. But if you truly don't feel comfortable, tell me. I will never force you into a situation you don't like. All you need to tell me is: What do you want to do?"

Corrin blinked and pushed his hair back. "Wow," he said simply. "And here I thought I was the one who was overly dramatic when it came to professing my love." His tone was lighter than before, but Azura continued to hold her breath. She would only release it once this was settled.

Corrin looked her in the eyes. "I…love you too Azura. I will stay by your side. I love you like nothing else in the world, and nothing will tear us apart."

Azura released the breath.

"But promise me one thing," he said, raising a finger.

Azura's heart jumped.

"No. More. Secrets," he said. "Alright?"

Azura swallowed her nervousness. "Alright," she agreed. "I'll tell you everything you want to know about me…"

Corrin smiled.

"… _after_ the war," she finished. "We're not out of this yet."

Corrin nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense. We'll talk about this later, _after_ we kill Anankos, though, I'm sure. But just saying though, you know everyone's going to be talking about us after—"

Whatever words he was about to say choked and died in his throat as Orochi and Reina suddenly both let out a loud sob. Mikoto suddenly grimaced, yelped in pain as she wrapped her hand around the wound on her abdomen. Corrin and Azura looked at each other and ran over.

"Mother? Are you alright? S-should I fetch my healing staff?" Sakura asked concernedly.

Mikoto waved her hand dismissively and coughed. "No…no need," she said weakly. "I know I'm dying. There's nothing you can do to save me now."

Takumi's brow furrowed. "Wh—bu—we can't just let you _die_ here!" he stammered.

Mikoto looked at him. "I'm…I'm afraid you'll have to. Time is something you can't afford to lose right now, and I'm afraid I've overstayed my welcome."

She turned towards Corrin. "Corrin," she called. "Do you still have Yato?"

"O-of course," he replied. "Why?"

Mikoto smiled. "I just want to let you know that I will always believe in you. I believe you'll find the courage and strength to overthrow Anankos and bring peace to this world."

Corrin swallowed. "That's…a pretty tall order."

Mikoto laughed as her skin slowly turned watery clear. "Trust me, I know. Just remember though, what I told you today. About your heritage."

"I will."

"I'm sorry I threw such a wrench into you and Azura's—"

"It's fine," they both said at the same time. They glanced at each other, and looked away, blushing.

"We already figured it out," Azura said, smiling.

Mikoto's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Truly? Well then, I guess we were right in having the two of you betrothed."

Corrin grinned.

Mikoto's eyes drifted towards the ceiling. "I'm afraid my time in this world is at an end."

Corrin's grin faded. "Wait, wait, wait wait wait, what?"

"It's…it's been an honor to serve under you, Queen—er, Mikoto," Orochi choked. Reina nodded silently in agreement.

"Likewise, Orochi. Likewise, Reina," Mikoto managed to gasp as the tips of her fingers and legs slowly turned translucent.

"W-wait, not yet!" Sakura sobbed again. "We just got you back!"

"Don't go!" Takumi pleaded.

"I'm so sorry that I have to leave now," Mikoto replied, her voice thick. "I'm just so happy to see…to see all of you again. Remember what I said, Corrin. Anankos' last line of defense awaits you in the throne room. Be careful. Do whatever you have to do, and above all else, survive."

"Mother!"

"I'm…so glad to see you all again…"

"Mother!"

"…"

"Mother?"

No response. A pulsing orb of light blue light suddenly revealed itself to the rest of the group as it rose out of Mikoto's body. As they watched in awe, the orb drifted upwards towards the ceiling, whereupon it vanished upon touching the rock, bursting like a bubble. The instant the orb disappeared, Mikoto's body sagged, turned clear, and disintegrated completely into water.

Hinoka and Sakura clutched at each other and sobbed silently into each other's shoulders as Ryoma and Takumi stared mutely at where their mother had just lied. Corrin collapsed to his knees, his hands clutching his head, ignoring the water dripping down his arms. Azura rested a hand on Corrin's shoulder, though it was obvious by her shaking that she was also struggling to hold back the wave of emotions that had threatened him and the rest of his siblings. To her relief, Corrin did not shake off her hand, though he did flinch at her touch.

Xander, Camilla, Leo, Elise, and the rest of the Nohrians in the group shuffled uneasily. As for the Hoshidan retainers, all of them knelt and bowed their heads as they muttered their last prayers towards the deceased queen, Orochi and Reina most prominent among them.

After what felt like an eternity of kneeling there, Corrin pushed himself back up to his feet, allowing Azura to help him. He looked at Azura, not bothering to hide the fact that he was crying, though the tears were drying already. For the first time in her life, Azura saw a hard edge in his eyes. For the second time in his life, Corrin knew what he had to do with an unshakable conviction.

"Now?" she asked.

Corrin nodded. "Now."

He strode over to the doors. The sight of the shining doors before him filled with dread as he sheathed Yato and willed his arms to transform into two giant, gaping dragon maws. As he prepared to force the doors open, he looked back towards Azura and the group.

"I'm not ready," he said. The statement was directed towards Azura and Azura only, but the message it carried pervaded throughout the entire group.

"If you're not ready now, when will we ever be ready?" Leo replied, her voice tense. "We _have_ to kill Anankos, and we are the only ones who might be able to do it."

"But what if we can't?" Corrin asked again, his voice slightly echoing, courtesy of the dragon head resting on his shoulders.

Azura rested a hand on his shoulders. "Then we can't, and what will be, will be."

Corrin nodded, nearly bashing Azura over the head with his antlers.

"...I love you, Azura."

"I love you too...Corrin."

Corrin glanced back at the crown of white silhouettes behind him. "We should probably form up. We'll need to be ready in case there's any guards. Just in case."

Everyone nodded as they arranged themselves in a formation suitable for battle. Leaning away, Corrin pulled and pulled, and slowly, the massive structure began to swing outward. No one human, Azura was sure, could've opened it, and even then, Corrin's strength in his partial-dragon form was barely sufficient.

When the door reached the wall, Corrin released, and then he joined Azura, Ryoma and Xander at the front of the group.

"I'll head in first," Corrin said.

Ryoma frowned. " _What_? Are you out of your mind? This is Anankos' _throne_ room, if you don't remember. He's sure to be more powerful than any of us."

"Do you really think you can take him on by yourself?" Xander added.

Corrin shook his head. "No, I can't but that's why I wanted all of the members of the royal family here. Remember how the Rainbow Sage said something about only Yato being able to truly hurt him?"

They all nodded, remembering the advice the dragon had given them. Despite that journey taking place almost two months ago, everyone knew what they had to do to defeat Anankos."

"Wouldn't it make more sense if I was to open the fight with Yato? If I don't open it with a strike from Yato, the rest of you might not even be able to hurt him."

"Plus, with my song, I might even be able to further weaken him," Azura chimed in.

"I see, I see," Ryoma replied.

"Very well then, little prince," Xander said. "If you truly believe it's worth it to start off by you and Azura weakening Anankos for the rest of us, we'll be right behind you."

Corrin swallowed his nervousness as he strode forward. "Thank you."

He took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing."


	26. Chapter 26

On the other side of the cavernous archway was a huge, dark chamber. Even Corrin, with his odd draconic vision, was unsure of its size, for the walls lay hidden in velvet shadows. A line of dim torches mounted on walls ran straight out from either side of the entrance way, illuminating the patterned floor, the dusty rock walls, and little else. The two rows of lanterns ended over five hundred feet away, near the base of a broad dais, upon which rested a throne, made of stone, though whoever sat upon it would undoubtedly be half as forgiving. The shadows were too dark even for Corrin to see past a couple of yards, much less see who—or what—was sitting on the throne.

In front of the dais, in front of the first step, embedded upright into a stone pedestal, rested a single dark, twisted sword. Corrin watched nervously as waves of fell energy pulsed around it.

The appearance of the weapon unsettled Corrin, and he felt the dragon with him growl uneasily. Everything about that sword felt… _wrong_ , yet also familiar.

Corrin swallowed and tightened his grip on Yato. He quickly squeezed Azura's hand. She squeezed his in return. Then, by unspoken consent, the group started forward.

The moment everyone's feet passed through the massive golden doors, the doors swung shut with an ominous _boom_. Azura had expected as much, but all the same, she and Corrin flinched at the sound

"Well, I guess that was expected," Leo said dryly.

Corrin nodded silently and continued forward, both afraid and determined. It was a long walk, long enough that Corrin had time to consider a number of strategies, most of which he discarded or considered as impractical or useless. He knew strength alone would not be the deciding factor between him and Anankos; it would require cunning as well, and that was perhaps the one thing he felt most lacked.

Still, they had no choice but to confront Anankos.

The two rows of lanterns that led to the dais were wide enough so that if needed, they could spread out. For that, Corrin was glad, since it meant he would be able to fight alongside his brothers and sisters, and of course, Azura.

As they approached the throne, Azura continued to study the chamber around them. It was, she thought, definitely a strange room for a king to receive guests in, even if the rightful ruler probably died decades ago. Aside from the dim path that lay before them, most of the space was hidden within impenetrable gloom—even more so than the tunnels and dungeons under Castle Gyges—and the air contained a dry, musky scent that seemed familiar to her, even though she could not place it.

"Where are the guards?" she said in an undertone.

Corrin's ears twitched. "I don't know. I don't hear anything."

As they were perhaps thirty feet from the dais, the torches on the walls suddenly flared brighter. Everyone covered their eyes to prevent from being blinded by the sudden light. Corrin blindly waved Yato towards the throne.

"Anankos!" he shouted. "Your time has co—wait, wait, what?"

Just as quickly as the torches had flared up, the intense light suddenly died down to a much more moderate level, revealing the throne, and—

"There's…no one here?" Xander asked. Siegfried slowly lowered to the ground.

"What's the meaning of this?" Gunter asked. He savagely turned on Azura. "I thought you said this was the throne room!"

"It is!" Azura retorted. "M-maybe he's just hiding somewhere in here."

"No," Leo said curtly, snapping Brynhildr shut. "I just cast a spell designed to locate life. There's nobody in here but us. The room is empty."

"That can't be right," Corrin said. He sheathed Yato and scratched the back of his head. "If he's not here, then where could—"

Corrin's ears twitched and his eyes widened. The dragon within him growled again as he felt his foot sink _ever_ _so slightly_ into the ground.

"Everyone! _Move!_ "

He tackled Azura and pushed her to the ground, out of the way, as a deafening _boom_ echoed around the chamber. As one, everyone—save for Corrin and Azura—collapsed to their knees, weapons dropping to the ground. Armor creaked and people gasped in pain.

"No!"

Corrin rushed towards Xander and Ryoma, who were at the foremost of the pack, before an invisible force shot him backward. His head shifted into its draconic counterpart a split second before the back of his head hit the edge of the first step. If he hadn't partially transformed just then, the blow would've killed him.

"Corrin!"

Azura ran over to him and shakily helped him up. "Are you alright?"

Corrin waved his hand towards the group. "I'm…fine. We need to help the others!" With a flash of light, the draconic head on his shoulders vanished only to be replaced with a look of pure desperation as he threw himself towards his friends again.

This time, Azura caught Corrin's wrist and managed to stop him.

"Don't!" she pleaded. "We can't do anything!"

Corrin scowled and shook her hands off his shoulder. "I have to! They're our family! Ryoma! Xander! Are you all alright?"

The Nohrian crown prince grimaced as he forced himself to his knees, only to fall flat on his stomach again. "Can't…move…" he croaked.

Corrin ran up to them, but this time stopped before he got too close. This time, he noticed a thin, transparent barrier in front of him, words in some unknown language flitting across it at a speed too fast for Corrin to even understand. The barrier ran across the length of the chamber, creating a box of sorts around Xander, Ryoma, Takumi, Elise, and the rest of the group.

"Ryoma! How about you?"

The samurai grunted as he propped his elbow up only for it to fall back down. "I feel…so…heavy."

Corrin looked at Leo, who was laying prone next to Takumi and Sakura. "Leo, what was that? Do you know? Can you answer?"

"Gravity…magic, yes, and yes," the Nohrian prince croaked.

Azura frowned. "Gravity magic? But…that's impossible. That art's been lost for millennia! The amount of strength you'll need…"

He stooped down to pick up a pebble off the floor and dropped it. He repeated it again. And again, before tossing the pebble into the barrier. To his surprise, the rock managed to penetrate the transparent barrier, whereupon it promptly flung itself into the ground, much harder and faster than before, leaving a tiny indent in the floor.

"Huh."

Corrin carefully back away from the barrier as he wracked his head for ideas. If he couldn't find a way to turn off or otherwise circumvent this gravity spell, then this whole endeavor would be doomed. As he thought, Gunter managed to force himself to his knees, where upon he planted his hands down in front of him, gasping deeply.

"Why…weren't you two…attacked?" Takumi croaked.

Corrin frowned. "What?" He looked around and to his surprise, Takumi's word rang true. Only Azura and him were spared from the attack.

"I knew it!" Gunter declared. He managed to point towards the couple as everyone turned their heads as much as they could towards the old knight. "I knew it!"

"Knew what?" Azura asked.

"Don't play dumb with me, you filthy blood-traitor!" Gunter spat. "You're the spy! You're the traitor! You were the one who killed Scarlet!"

"Shut _up!_ " Leo growled. "How many times do I have to—"

"Wait a minute, Leo," Xander said. "As much…as I hate to listen to this vitriol," he shot a sympathetic look towards Azura, "we can't afford to take any chances…especially now since we're so close to the end." He turned his head to look at Gunter. "Gunter…tell us why you think Azura is the spy. If we think your reasoning acceptable, then we shall deal with her _after_ this is over."

"Xander!" Elise protested. "You…can't possibly be—"

"I'm not," Xander said curtly. "But if there's…even a _chance_ —"

"It's not just Azura, milord!" Gunter said. "As much as it may pain us both to say it, but I suspect Lord Corrin may be one of them!"

"Alright, now _that_ is…hard to believe," Xander grunted.

"Thanks," Azura deadpanned.

"You're…you're taking this too far, Gunter!" Corrin said. "Stop this. Now!"

"No, no! _Listen_ to me," Gunter insisted. "It all makes sense! Azura is of Vallite birth, that much has been known since the start, but didn't Mikoto—Lord Corrin's own _birth mother_ —say that he was also of Vallite royalty?"

"Well, when you…put _that_ way…" Leo admitted. "I…guess I can see where you're coming from?"

Corrin was shocked. "Leo!"

Leo grimaced. "B-but I refuse to—nng!—believe such slander against my brother!" he added.

"But…but Corrin sat on the Hoshidan throne of truth!" Hinoka said. "He didn't change—"

"The Hoshidan throne of truth was gifted to Hoshido by _Valla_ ," Gunter continued. Guess what? They're both Vallites! Not only are they Vallites, but they're also Vallite royalty! Of course their throne wouldn't change their appearance! It was _made_ by them, _for_ them. Tell us, _Lord_ Corrin, where do your loyalties lie? Is it with Nohr? With Hoshido? Or is it our god, Anankos?"

"You can't be serious, Gunter!" Azura protested. "Corrin's done nothing but—"

"Quiet, Azura," Ryoma glowered. "I want to hear this."

"What…are you saying?" Corrin asked dangerously. "And why are you talking so strangely? It's almost like you're…not yourself."

Gunter's eyes fell downward "I'm sorry, I truly am, Corrin, but my loyalties are to Nohr. I wish I could remain loyal to you as well, but how am I supposed to justify helping you destroy the world and destroy both kingdoms?"

Regret tinged his voice. "After that Chevois woman's death—"

"Her name…was…Scarlet!" Ryoma almost shouted.

"After _Scarlet's_ death," Gunter hastily corrected, "I suspected that there was a turncoat amongst us, a notion Lord Ryoma also shared. At first, I thought the spy was possibly one of Anankos' servants. His servants can take the form of anybody who was slain by his will, and if there was a stray foot soldier killed in the action when we first entered Valla, we would never know. I never thought that it would be you two."

"W-wait, Gunter! Does that mean…does that mean Big Brother's dead?" Elise asked, tears threatening to spill over her cheeks.

Gunter tried to turn his head to face the Nohrian princess. "Unfortunately, milady."

"What? That's impossible!" said Takumi.

"I agree!" Corrin shouted. "I think I have more authority than you when it comes to determining whether or not I'm dead. Gunter, you were like a father to me! How can you say these things about me when you know they're not true?"

Gunter's words seemed to have choked in his throat for a split second. Xander struggled to his knees, only for him to sink back to the floor, the gravity spell still in effect.

"This is madness!" he grunted. "Explain yourself, Gunter!"

Gunter cleared his throat. "No, it's not madness. This was their plan, all along, wasn't it, _Corrin_? You two have worked so hard to gather the royal families from Hoshido and Nohr. They brought them together, to Valla, so that it would be easier to eliminate them!"

Gunter's pronouncement hung heavy in the air. The silence that followed was heavy enough to crush a man to death, though not as heavy as Ryoma, Xander, Leo, and everyone else caught in the gravity spell felt.

Xander opened his mouth and closed, creating a stunning imitation of a goldfish—albeit a goldfish that had just woken up to discover that it was on dry land instead of a fishbowl. Ryoma silently shook his head, trying to find the words to offer up as a rebuttal but failing. Leo stared at Azura and Corrin, his snark failing him for once.

Instead, they, and the other royals and retainers, instinctively looked at Corrin and Azura, both of whom were pale as they stepped backwards in shock. The two accused exchanged looks.

 _How do we get out of this?_ Corrin's eyes asked.

 _I…I don't know,_ was the answer he received.

"That…that's not true! Gunter, stop! Stop this before I—"

"Before you what?" Gunter jeered. "Kill us?"

"What? N-no! I won't kill you! I'm not the traitor! _We're_ not the traitor!"

"It's a trap! It was all a Vallite ploy! Corrin has betrayed us!"

Corrin tried to protest again, but was shut down when slender hands wrapped around his shoulders and pushed him back.

" _You are the ocean's gray waves…_

 _Destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach..._

 _Yet the waters ever change, flowing like time…_

 _The path is yours to climb…"_

"Azura—?"

" _A burdened heart, sinks into the ground…_

 _A veil fails away, without a sound,_

 _Not day nor night, wrong nor right…_

 _For truth and peace you fight…"_

Gunter groaned and suddenly clutched his head in his hands as he rolled about on the floor. "Stop that! Stop that song!"

He rolled over to face Xander and Ryoma. "See? She's trying to kill me! Stop her!"

Ryoma raised an eyebrow. "What? Her song?"

"You…do know that that song was responsible for stopping the fighting between Ryoma and me, right, Gunter?"

Corrin's eyes flitted between the two, his mind racing.

* * *

" _Scar…let? The name doesn't sound familiar. Is she the Chevois wyvern rider with the flower pinned to her chest?"_

* * *

" _What's that? What are you doing, Scarlet?"_

" _Oh, nothing much. It's just an old Chevois custom. Whenever one of us faces some huge, monumental event, its tradition to pin on a flower." Satisfied with her appearance, Scarlet turned to grab her axe before teasingly patting Corrin on his cheek._

 _Startled, he stumbled backwards._

" _You're a special bud, Lord Corrin. Getting everybody to follow you is quite something, but not as special as Lord Ryoma!"_

* * *

"I AM THE FORGOTTEN DRAGON. THE BETRAYED KING. THE ENTOMBED GOD. IN THE NAME OF THE KING OF VALLA, I SENTENCE YOU…TO DEATH! _"_

" _Corrin! Watch out!"_

 _Scarlet angled her fall so that she was directly between Corrin and the purple figure. She managed to grab Corrin's wrist as flung him above her. Undeterred, the figure continued through with its blow, carving a clean line through her torso, hip to shoulder._

 _Corrin watched, wide-eyed, as the flower burst into purple flame before just as quickly turning into ash and dust. Scarlet fell past him, her eyes dull and open._

" _Scarlet!_ No! _"_

* * *

" _The flower on her chest plate…it's been burned away."_

 _Xander frowned and turned to look at Corrin and Azura whispering among themselves. "What are you talking about?"_

" _We were the last ones to jump," Corrin explained. "So nobody—wait, Ryoma!"_

* * *

" _My apologies, Lord Leo." Gunter stooped his back in a respectful bow. "My apologies, Lady Azura. And most of all, my apologies to you, Lord Corrin. It's simply that the sight of that flower pinned to that Chevois woman's chest as it burned away…I think its safe to say that no one wants to see you meet same fate, milord."_

* * *

Corrin's eyes snapped open. "I got it!"

In the distance, Corrin could hear Gunter shouting about something, though the sounds of his guttural voice was nothing compared to the sound of Azura's singing and his most recent revelation.

"You're wrong, Gunter," Corrin said, looking down at his _former_ retainer with something close to regret. "I'm not the spy. I would never betray my family, even if one kidnapped me from the others."

"That's all you have to say?" Gunter asked. "Please, don't lie to us, Corrin. It's hard enough to watch you betray us without hearing these things from your mouth."

"I know who the traitor is!" he declared. "But more importantly, Ryoma, I know who killed Scarlet!"

The silence that followed was one of great momentous. Even Azura stopped her singing to stare at Corrin.

"How…what…who is it?" Ryoma asked, his voice sounding suspiciously broken.

Corrin pointed at Gunter with all the authority of a man with nothing to lose, and everything to gain. "You!"

"Me?"

"It was you, Gunter! You're the one responsible for the murder of Scarlet Ismiradaughter. You're the one responsible for treason and espionage against the Nohrian, Hoshidan, _and_ Vallite crowns!"

Gunter guffawed, though there was no mirth in it what-so-ever. In fact, the chuckle was less of a _That's pretty funny_ chuckle, and more of a _Really? That's the best you can throw at me?_ chuckle.

"That's…disappointing, even for a turncoat," Gunter said, shaking his head. "Accusing your accuser? Where's your evidence? Your alibi? Honestly, Corrin, you couldn't sound any more desperate with your lies."

"Wait, wait, wait a moment." Leo tried to make a time-out sign with his hands, forgetting for a moment that he was still under the effect of the gravity spell.

"I remember you saying something about how you didn't want Corrin to suffer the same fate Scarlet did. You said something about a flower."

"Yes? What about it?" Gunter asked.

"That's it!" Corrin snapped his fingers.

"Scarlet and I were the last ones to jump, remember? Right before we jumped, she pinned a flower to her chest. I asked her what it was for, and she told me about it was an old Chevois tradition, to pin a flower to your armor right before you enter a momentous event."

"I…remember that," Ryoma muttered. "She said something about it when we—" He clamped his mouth shut. Now, he looked even more like an overcooked lobster, his face was so red.

"See?" Corrin said. "I'm not making this up! Ryoma remembers! But if Scarlet and I were the last to jump…how did you know she pinned a flower to her chest? When we found her body, did _anybody_ remember seeing a flower?"

"I remember only seeing a dead woman," Laslow grumbled from somewhere beneath Odin's legs.

Ryoma frowned. "Well, now that you mention it, no. No, there wasn't a flower on her…"

"That's because she pushed me out of the way when the spy attacked! When the spy killed her, the flower also burned away! That means there's only three people who could've known about the flower—actually, two, since one of them is…well, not here. Me…"

"…and Gunter."

The stunned silence that followed was even heavier and crushing than the last. Azura's arms fell limply to her sides as she watched Corrin glaring at Gunter.

Gunter harrumphed. "Likely story. How do you expect us to believe—"

"Wait!" Elise's voice chirped out. "You were just asking where Big Brother's loyalties were. You asked if it was with Nohr, Hoshido, 'Or is it our god, Anankos?' 'Our god.'"

"Plus, how do you know about the Hoshidan throne of truth?" Xander asked. "Surely, only those actually created it and those who currently own it would know its true history. How do you know it was the Vallites who created it?"

"And why did you react so negatively to Azura's song?" Takumi asked. "Azura's song is capable of rejuvenating allies and dispelling possessions. I would know! Why would it hurt you to hear her song if…you're…not possessed? _Oh._ "

Gunter glanced out of the corner of his eye towards Xander, Ryoma, Takumi, and Corrin. Slowly, but ever so surely, the pieces clicked into place.

"Gunter," Xander said, his voice low and dangerous. "What…have you done?"

Gunter chuckled, and the chuckled soon grew into a fully-fledged laugh.

"Hahahahaha…BWAHAHAHAHA!"

Corrin frowned. "Why are you—"

"Well played, Corrin. Well. Played."

His voice was light, but was a little bit… _off_ from his usual manner of speaking. There was an edge to it this time, something cruel, something apathetic. It was more cynical, more mocking.

Gunter grunted as he struggled to his feet. "Admittedly, I never really got the hang of magic. I was expecting my little gravity spell to fail entire time. Guess you really can teach an old dog new tricks."

Xander stared at the older man. "Gunter…how did you get up so easily?"

Gunter looked down at Xander and promptly kicked him in the ribs. "Who said anything about it being easy?"

"So you _were_ the traitor!" Corrin shouted. "I knew it!"

"I have to say, _milord_ , you really are gifted at figuring things out quickly, even when under pressure. I suppose that explains why I never could beat you in speed chess, why all of my attempts to end your life failed. That, and because of _her_." He pointed towards Azura, who stepped back, instinctively hiding behind Corrin as he clenched his fists.

"Gunter…you were the one who attacked Corrin back in the tunnel?" Leo asked. "The one who cast a paralysis spell on him?"

Gunter sneered. "Of course. Don't sound so surprised, _Lord_ Leonardo. Anankos has the gift of knowledge, and with it, he has granted me the power cast any spell I want, as easily as I could. How could I not use such a power to paralyze Corrin?"

"Then…why didn't you just kill him, then?" Leo asked. "Not that I wanted that to happen, but why?" Leo winked surreptitiously towards and mouthed the words "sing." Azura nodded, understanding.

Gunter's features grayed for a second. "Admittedly, I…I don't know. Looking back, you were right. I could've used any multitude of spells to finish of Corrin, like _Thoron_ , or _Ignis,_ or—"

" _You are the ocean's gray waves…_

 _Destined to—"_

Faster than either Corrin or Azura could react Gunter pounced towards them at a speed unbefitting of a man of his age. Corrin grunted and crumpled to the floor as an armored fist buried itself in his stomach.

Azura screamed as she felt an armored arm wrap itself around her throat before a hand clamped itself over her mouth.

"Don't you go singing your special song now, you _blood-traitor_ ," Gunter whispered into her ear. "As much I hate having to do this to a lady, my master hates hearing that song even more, especially now that you're so close to him. You know how much trouble you and your mother have caused him over these last few years? You're Vallite loyalty. You should've sided with Lord Anankos from the very beginning."

Corrin struggled to unsheathe Yato. Gunter shot a look bordering on pity as he casually strode over to the half-dragon and kicked the weapon out of his hands, then him, for insurance.

"How…how long…how long have you been…lying to us?" Corrin gasped.

Gunter's eyes drifted towards the ceiling in mock thought. Azura desperately tried prying her captor's hand off her mouth to no avail. She tried kicking him in the legs, but she may have been kicking a stone statue for all it did.

"That's actually a good question. You have no idea how hard it is to truthfully answer that question. Let's…just say that it was the whole time. One way or another."

"Why?" Xander asked. "Why would you betray us? Why would you betray Corrin? Why would you kill Scarlet?"

Gunter chuckled. "That's one of the easier questions I can answer. Simple answer is: I don't like you. I don't like _any_ of you, but mainly _you_ , Corrin. You make me sick. I just _can't_ stand your naiveness, your belief that there's _some_ good in everyone, because there's not! I decided, when I joined you on this journey, that I would strip away every. Last. Piece of your innocence from you."

Corrin struggled to his knees. "But you were the one who sneaked extra-portions into my room when I was younger, at the Northern Fortress. You were the one who snuck into my room at night to tell me bedtime stories!"

Here, Gunter's resolve wavered. "I…was a different man back then. Younger. Less experienced. I didn't know any better. As for Scarlet…let's just say that she was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. How was I supposed to know she would be foolish enough to throw herself in front of Corrin?"

"You take that back!" Ryoma snarled.

Gunter chuckled. "Ha, look at your face right now, Corrin. That's the face of a man without hope. Can you still say that you see some good within me? Can you?"

Corrin pushed himself to his feet. Gunter moved so that he and Azura were between Corrin and Yato. "You take one step towards that toothpick that you call a sword, and I'll crush her throat!" Gunter threatened.

He threateningly shook Azura, her head rattling back and forth like a paddleball. She looked desperately at Corrin, her head shaking ever-so-slightly. Corrin sighed and placatingly raised his hands above his head.

"Don't worry, I won't. And to answer your question…yes. Yes, I do."

Gunter scowled. "What? Are you naïve, or just plain stupid? I'm holding your _girlfriend_ hostage! Your _lover_! Your _betrothed_! Your _cousin!_ And you _still_ believe that there's good in me?"

"First off, no. I'm not stupid, though I admit I can be a little naïve at times. Second, she's _not_ my betrothed."

Azura looked at him. Despite the situation, she couldn't help but feel hurt at his words. Her heart felt like it was dying as Corrin worked his jaw.

"Not yet."

An intense feeling of affection and love blossomed within Azura.

"And thirdly," Corrin continued. "If it means being able to trust in my friends and family, then yes. I do. You're nothing more than a puppet being controlled by Anankos. So was Arete and Sumeragi. If I could save them, I can save you."

Gunter threw his head back and laughed. "HA! You? Save me? Trust me, _boy_ , I was dead inside long before I joined this failure of a journey, long before I have my life in service to Anankos. Don't compare me those pathetic puppets, because that's all they were: _puppets!_ I'm still alive and kicking, and I've pledged my life to Lord Anankos. My body belongs to him! I am him, and he is me!"

Suddenly, Gunter sneered as he dragged Azura away, brutally yanking on her hair whenever she resisted. "Enough talk," he said. "My god demands I finish you off before I crush the rest of your army, starting with that tactician!"

"Robin always did say he had a knack for making enemies," Selena muttered to Laslow and Odin.

Out of nowhere, Gunter somehow managed to draw a knife and press the edge against Azura's throat. Azura's breath hitched as her eyes flitted down to the metal barely a hairsbreadth away from her skin. Her chest heaved in panic.

"Alright, what you're going to do is get down on your knees and beg for forgiveness. If you're lucky, Lord Anankos'll let you into his service. If not…well, then she dies, though truth be told, with the amount of trouble she caused us over the last few years, it's more than likely she'll die anyways." He pressed the blade ever-so-slightly into Azura's throat. Corrin swore that he saw beads of blood appearing.

"Alright, hold on a moment, Gunter," Corrin said. "Maybe if we—"

"If you try to bargain with me, she dies. If you take too long to think about it, she dies. If you refuse, she dies. If you take a step towards me, she dies. If she struggles, both you _and_ her die. Understand?"

Corrin hesitated.

"Come now, _boy_. Clock's ticking."

Corrin looked helplessly at Azura.

 _I'm sorry_ , he mouthed.

In response, she stopped struggling and slowly worked her hands up to Gunter's hand holding the blade. At first, Corrin thought she was going to attempt to pry the blade away from her body, and he nearly shouted at her to stop.

Instead, she tapped the back of his plated hand and drew a small, definitive _X_.

 _What does she want me to do? What_ can _I do—oh._

"Time's almost up, boy," Gunter growled. He pressed the blade even closer to Azura's skin. There were definitely beads of blood clinging to the metal now.

"Alright, alright, you win," he said. "I submit."

" _What?_ " Xander said.

"On _one_ condition."

Gunter sneered. "What did I say about bargaining with me?"

Corrin stared at Gunter. "I'm not bartering with you. I'm just saying what will happen."

"Corrin, you can't! He'll kill her, then you, then all of us!" Ryoma shouted.

Corrin glanced over his shoulder to look at his brother. "Don't worry, brother. I make my own fate. Truth be told, I've always been a bit sick about how the universe only giving me a certain number of choices."

Azura finally managed to get lucky and kicked Gunter in the groin, right where the armor didn't cover. His eyes widened in surprise and pain as the hand holding the knife started to slit her throat…

Before anyone could react, Corrin's right arm transformed into a lance-like appendage and shot towards Gunter's hand as his left arm transformed into a dragon's jaw, snapping at the air. Time slowed down for everyone.

Azura's eyes squeezed shut. Gunter recoiled and open his mouth to bellow in pain, which was understandable. The air around Corrin's arm-lance started to heat up, and a ferocious wind started to grate against his armored skin.

Gunter shouted in agony as the tip of the arm-lance pierced the hand, the point poking out through his palm. A quarter of a second before Corrin stabbed him, Azura managed to slip out beneath Gunter's hold.

Gunter and Corrin made eye contact for a split second before Corrin's dragon-jaw-fist enveloped the upper half of his body. Gunter screamed in pain, his voice slightly muffled by the tomb encasing his torso and head, as Corrin bashed him around before finally releasing and hurling him across the room. Gunter was slammed into the throne with enough force to knock the dust loose from the ceiling. A nasty _crack_ echoed throughtout the chamber as he laid motionless.

Corrin transformed his arm-lance back into his normal arm and instantly rushed over to Azura, who was laying on the ground, a hand pressed to her chest as she heaved for breath. Behind him, everyone breathed a sigh of relief as their limbs loosened. Xander and Ryoma struggled to their feet, and unsheathed their weapons, their eyes darting around for more enemies. Elise also struggled to her feet and grabbed her healing rod as she made her way towards Corrin and Azura.

"Here, here, let me see," he said gently as he grabbed her hand and lifted it away from her neck.

Sure enough, there was a small red smile there, but thankfully, the knife missed the artery.

"Is…is it bad?" she asked.

Instead of answering, he let his head fall onto Azura's chest, relieved and grateful that she was alive.

"Uh, Corrin?"

"You're alright, Azura," he said after a moment. "The knife just barely missed the artery. Sakura or Elise can get it fixed up in no time. It's basically a paper cut. But on your neck."

"Ah. I thought it'll be worse."

"So did I. Thank the gods you're still alive."

Azura smiled in relief as she saw the silhouette of Elise's healing staff come into view above her. A faint red dusted her cheeks as she realized where Corrin's head was resting.

"Hey, uh, Corrin. Can you…move your head for a moment? You're sort of laying it on my—er—it's in the way of Elise's healing."

"Oh, um, sorry," he said, hastily lifting his head. He frowned as he noticed where Elise was healing Azura.

"That's…not anywhere close to where I was… _oh_. Sorry"

Once Elise was finished, Azura smiled and reached out towards Corrin with her arms. "Come here, you."

Corrin hesitated for only a split second swooped down to oblige her. Her hands fisted at the hair at the back o shier neck as he breathed in her scent, his hand working down to the small of her back. After a few seconds, they separated and merely looked at each other. Azura gently ran a finger over Corrin's cheek.

"Oh, please _do not_ tell me that you two are about to kiss," Leo deadpanned. Behind him, Takumi made a gagging motion.

Corrin smirked. "One day, Leo, you'll find that having someone kiss makes everything that much sweeter."

Azura giggled.

Leo opened his mouth to protest, until the crumpled figure resting on the throne shifted.

A nasty cracking sound echoed around the chamber as bones reknit themselves, fingers reorienting themselves in the proper directions. Gunter's head did a full one-eighty turn to glare at the group as he got to his feet, purple flames flaring up around him. Corrin noticed the fact how Gunter's eyes were now red instead of their usual brown.

"What…have… _you…DONE_?" he thundered.

Corrin instantly shot to his feet and grabbed Yato from the ground. He pushed Azura behind him.

"Stay in the back," he ordered.

For once, Azura agreed.

"What…have you _done?"_ Gunter repeated, his voice hollow and strained.

"Reminded you why you should never try to barter with a dragon" Corrin said coldly, in the manner he always did whenever he was deadly focused. "Dragons are selfish creatures, Gunter. They want all the cards, yet are unwilling to risk even the most worthless of them. What makes you think I'm different? What makes you think you can barter with me? And more importantly, what makes you think you can barter with me using Azura's life? Not only is she my cousin, but she's also my lover and family. She;s worth more to me than anything in the world, and if there's one thing you should learn about me, Gunter, it's that you _never, ever_ barter with a dragon."

Gunter scowled and stomped towards Corrin. Once he reached the pedestal where the strange purple blade was embedded in, he stopped.

"This…is Ganglari," he said curtly. "It's the very same weapon Garon gave to you so long ago, and it's the same weapon Sumeragi used to kill your mother. With it, I'm going to kill you. With it, I'm going to kill Azura. With it, I'm going to remind of the wrath you just incurred!"

Grasping the hilt with both hands, Gunter lifted the sword, pedestal and all, straight out of the ground. Gunter waved the sword around, trying to remove the pedestal at the end of the blade before finally grabbing it forcing it off towards Corrin.

Corrin transformed his arm into a giant dragon maw and slapped aside the projectile.

"Tell me, Corrin, do you still believe you can try to sway me with your mutterings of trust and belief?"

"…"

"Well, do you?"

"Yes. I do. I still believe in you, Gunter."

Gunter scoffed. "As expected. Your foolishness always manages to impress me somehow. But if it's your only source of comfort when you undoubtedly lay on the floor bleeding out, surrounded by the bodies of your friends, you're more than welcome to think in such a manner."

Gunter waved his hand over Corrin and his group. Shadowy figures lethargically rose out of the shadows and drew their weapons as they converged on the rest of Corrin's group. Everyone went back-to-back with each other, forming a rough circle.

"It's a trap!" Xander shouted.

"Everyone! Back to back!" Ryoma shouted. "It'll take more than a poorly staged ambush to defeat us!"

Gunter sneered as Corrin glanced over his shoulder. "Oh no, little prince. You're staying right here, right where I can see you. You're going to pay for what you did to me."

Corrin took a deep breath and raised Yato before him, his transformed arm twisting and reshaping itself to form a rough shield, covered with thick, platinum white and onyx dark scales.

"We'll see."

Sounds of fighting and battle broke out within the great chamber as Gunter scowled and charged towards him, bellowing a war cry. Corrin slapped the attack aside with his shield arm, only for his arm to suddenly feel numb. After pushing Gunter back after a failed attack, he glanced down his arm.

To his shock, the purple flames had started to spread up his arm-shield, slowly eating away and corroding the armor and skin. It wasn't painful, and it looked like it definitely took a while for it to any real damage, but Corrin knew he couldn't afford to let Gunter land a single blow on him. As he watched, a couple of his scales started to burn and dropped to the floor, whereupon they shattered like pottery.

"What is this?" he hissed.

"That's the feelings of your sins and transgressions crawling up your back," Gunter replied. "That aura will eat away at both your body and your soul…until there's nothing left."

Corrin scowled and thrust Yato forward, piercing Gunter's forearm. The muscles in his face jumped and twitched as he jumped back from Corrin, and his whole body began to shake with tremors. Baring his teeth, he growled, "You will not get the better of me, _boy_."

Corrin spread his legs apart into a defensive stance as he raised his shield-arm. He knew his makeshift barrier wouldn't last long, but he didn't need it to. All he needed was to hold Gunter long enough for Azura to sing her song, or for him to—

Gunter swung Ganglari at Corrin. Corrin rolled to the side and felt the fell sword pass a hairsbreadth above his head. He kept rolling for another few feet, then pushed himself into a standing position.

Shouting, Gunter charged towards him again, and Corrin once again deflected the blow. This time his shield-arm let out a loud cracking noise and Corrin watched as his sheild arm disintegrated into a mass of scales, leaving only his bare arm. Unlike when he normally transformed, where his clothing and armor remained the same when he transformed back into a human (thankfully), this time, as Corrin watched his shield-arm disintegrate, there was nothing left of his armor or clothing on his arm.

Corrin blinked and scowled before charging Gunter, raising Yato above his head with two hands in preparation to deal a heavy blow. Gunter raised his hand over his head in a reverse-hand grip to defend himself. The two swords rang like bells in the throne room, sharp and clear among the sounds of fighting, and the whispers of the dead.

After a series of trading blows, Corrin finally lucked out and managed to sock Gunter in the right eye, a bruise already swelling his eyes shut.

Gunter stumbled back and gingerly touched the bruise, wincing as he did. "Not bad, boy. Not bad. _But not good enough_."

Corrin took advantage of Gunter's pause in momentum to charge towards him, Yato carving a death rune in the air as he slashed at Gunter. Gunter ducked beneath Corrin's savage crosscut, and stabbed at Corrin's left armpit. Corrin's eyes widened and he yelped as he tried to jump out of the way. Ganglari pierced armor and muscle, as though it was rice paper.

Corrin stumbled backward, and he fell back onto his hands and feet, bruising the fingers with which he held Yato. He expected the former retainer to be upon him within a second, and so he futilely raised his arm to block the incoming blow, but instead, Gunter remained where he was, swaying side to side as he reveled in the carnage around him.

"I want you to see something, Corrin," Gunter said. He reached down and grabbed Corrin by his hair. He pointed towards the rest of Corrin's group, who were a group of colors among the sea of purple.

"See her? That blunette in the middle there? With the naginta?" he asked.

Corrin tried to wrestle himself free of Gunter' grip. "No! Don't do it!"

"I'm going to kill her. I'm going to cast _Thoron_ on her, and the rest of your pathetic excuse for friends will follow suit. _Then_ , and only then, will I kill you."

"Azura! Azura!" Corrin shouted, trying to warn her. "Run! He's going to—"

"That's enough of that now, _boy_ ," Gunter jeered as he clocked Corrin the back of the head. He fell like a sack of rocks to the floor, his vision going blurry as he tried to crawl away from the Vallite King who stood over him.

" _Thoron!_ "

Reina screamed in pain as she fell onto her back, her face, once scarred yet beautiful, now nothing more than a pile of ash.

"Damn eye. She got in the way," Gunter muttered to himself. "No matter, second time's the charm. _Tho_ _—"_

"No!" Corrin yelled. "Stop!"

Gunter spared a second to glance down at Corrin with utmost contempt, only to be shocked by the inhuman growls coming from the half-dragon.

"You…will never betray us _AGAIN!_ " Corrin roared, before the rest of the transformation followed through, razor sharp claws and wings exploding out of his back and limbs.

Gunter stepped back in shock as the dragon's shadow slowly enveloped him. For a split second, Gunter's expression became that of shock and awe, before the usual tint of dark blue overcame Corrin's vision. All around the throne room, the fighting slowly came to a stop as everyone looked up at the dragon, its platinum white scales nearly glowing in the gloom.

Gunter recovered quickly. He jumped out of the way as a might paw slammed into the ground where he had been standing less than a second before. Gunter landed safely in front of the throne, before he was forced to duck as another paw swiped the throne cleanly off the dais and into the wall.

Azura stared up at the dragon. Unlike the time in the Shirasagi Castle courtyard, where Azura just barely came up to Corrin's shoulders, this time, he was much, _much_ larger.

Normally, Corrin's draconic form was the same size as a horse. An overly large horse, perhaps, but most horses would've been of a similar size to him. Now, he was easily as big as a wyvern, maybe even larger.

"Not again…" Ryoma murmured.

"Last time he transformed like this…only Azura could control him" Takumi whispered.

Azura knew he was right. If Corrin transformed into his draconic counterpart because of his rage, then who knows what it would talk to stop him this time? The last time Corrin had transformed in such a manner, it had nearly killed her to stop him, and that wasn't even _mentioning_ the toll his claws had on her body.

" _Fight_."

Everyone started at the sound of Corrin's voice passing through his jaws, a distorted and metallic echo behind it.

" _Fight_."

Gunter sneered and leveled Ganglari at the beast before him. "You think that just because you can turn into a dragon, I'm supposed to bow down and revere you? You're still the same person inside, naïve, foolish, and all too willing to do the right thing."

Corrin tilted his head, before, fast as a hawk, snatched out towards Gunter, enveloping him in a single, serrated claw. Gunter struggled futilely as Corrin, with all the dexterity of a man who's played the piano for decades, reared back to free up his other claw to deftly pry the now-minuscule Ganglari out of Gunter's hands.

As he fell back onto his front claws, Corrin slammed Gunter into the ground with enough force to knock the wind out of him, yet gently and carefully enough to avoid crushing him like a grape.

Corrin lowered his head until he's nearly nose-to-nose with the struggling silhouette beneath his claws. One hand is feebly clawing at the talon on his right shoulder, while the other desperately procured a dagger and stabbed it, again and again, into Corrin's paw until it shattered.

" _Fight_." Corrin repeated again.

"Let go of me!" Gunter growled. "I am the king of Valla! He is me, and I am him! I refuse to accept defeat! I refuse!"

" _Fight_."

"Is that the only thing you can say? ' _Fight_?'"

 _"…No."_

" _You are the ocean's gray waves…_

 _Destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach..._

 _Yet the waters ever change, flowing like time…_

 _The path is yours to climb…"_

Gunter thrashed futilely. "No! Stop that song! Stop!"

Xander's eyebrows lifted as he realized what was happening. "Azura! Keep singing! Your song may be the only thing that can break through Anankos' control!"

Corrin transformed back into his human form. For a split second, Xander and Ryoma were tempted to shout at Corrin for freeing Gunter, but once they saw the writhing form on the ground, they relaxed.

"You asked me if I still believed in you," Corrin said. "And I still do. I know there's a part of you somewhere in there who doesn't want to hurt me or my friends. That's why I keep saying 'fight.' _Fight_ the power controlling you!"

"No…point," Gunter groaned.

"Yes there is!" Corrin insisted. "Remember all those memories we shared together? All the time we spent together? Those night when you read me stories by candlelight? Those games of hide-and-seek you always played with Felicia, Flora, and me? All those stern talking-to's you had with Jakob? _Remember!_ "

"No…"

Corrin knelt down next to Gunter, who was now too weak to do much else besides stare languidly up at the ceiling. "You taught me how to fight with a sword. You taught me respect and discipline, but also how to laugh and forgive."

"…Corrin…"

"Come back to us!" Corrin continued. "Embrace the light! Break free of Anankos' control and return to us!"

The undead soldiers all suddenly went limp and dissipated into water as everyone crowded around Corrin and Gunter, save for Orochi, who cradled Reina's ruined body in her arms, her face blank and stone-faced.

"Lord Corrin…?"

Corrin's eyes widened. "It's working!" He turned back towards Azura. "It's working! Keep singing!"

Azura nodded and closed her eyes before bursting into another stanza.

Turning back to Gunter, Corrin said, "You remember, don't you? Hold on to those memories, to those feelings!"

Gunter's eyes snapped open—round and rimmed with an unnatural amount of white—and he stared into the distance, as if Corrin and those surrounding him no longer existed. He shook and trembled and his jaw worked, but no sound came from his throat.

Two things happened once, then. First, Azura'a shreiked and her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she collapsed weakly to the ground. Gunter suddenly snatched and unsheathed Corrin's dagger from his waist.

"Corrin!" Ryoma shouted as Xander reached out towards him, his lips also forming his name.

Corrin blanched and tried to stumble backwards as his arm instinctively twisted and grew into a giant claw in an attempt to protect himself. But it grew too slowly.

Gunter raised the dagger…

…and plunged it into his chest.

A black smoke shot out of Gunter's every orifice as Corrin, Xander, Ryoma, Azura, and the rest of group were blown backwards, away from him. Corrin stumbled and rolled for a few feet before his arm-claw transformed into a scythe and dug itself into the ground.

He braced himself as he raised his other arm to peer at the figure kneeling in the center of the miasma, an unearthly keening sound echoing from it.

After what seemed like an eternity, the screaming stopped, the tornado of black smoke slowly dwindled away. Everyone groaned and grunted as they picked themselves up off the ground.

Out of the corner of his eye, Corrin glimpsed Azura still lying prone on the ground, and he was about to step towards her when Gunter's form moaned and shifted, ever so slightly. Torn, he looked between the two, until one of Azura's eyes cracked open.

She motioned for Corrin to go the Gunter with a slight motion of her head before closing her eyes again in exhaustion.

Corrin ran over to the old knight and knelt down next to it. Blood was pooling around the body of the retainer, the hilt of Corrin's dagger protruded from his chest.

"Gunter," Corrin said, his voice sounding weak and faraway after what had just happened. "What did you do?"

Gunter's eyes cracked open, and to Corrin's relief, they were now his natural shade of brown instead of red.

"I…I will atone for my actions…no, my _betrayal_ …with my life."

And with that, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he became still.

"Gunter? Gunter!"

For a moment, Corrin was a little boy again as he shook Gunter's shoulder. It was only a deafening _boom_ echoed around the chamber did his instincts check in and he checked Gunter's pulse. There was one. Weak, to be sure, but at least there was one. Corrin sighed in relief and let his head fall onto Gunter's chest.

"Corrin," Xander called. "You…may want to see this."

Corrin looked up and took a moment to lay Gunter's hands over his chest before standing up and walking over to where Xander and Ryoma were standing.

"What's wrong? Is something the…"

His voice died in his throat as he looked down to see Azura writhing in pain, purple splotches of dark energy appearing across her skin.

"Azura?"

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of his voice. She tried to scoot away from him desperately. "D-don't come any closer!" she half-yelped, half-whimpered. "I-I'm fine!"

Corrin frowned and dropped to his knees as he grasped Azura by the shoulder. Azura flinched at the touch, but as soon she relaxed, the purple phantoms started to disappear. A familiar strength filled her body as she gazed into Corrin's concerned eyes.

"What's wrong, Azura? Tell me."

For a moment, Azura was tempted to lie again, but then her mind flashed back to the conversation she had with Corrin outside the throne room.

* * *

 _"But promise me one thing," Corrin said, raising a finger._

 _Azura's heart jumped._

 _"No. More. Secrets," he said. "Alright?"_

 _Azura swallowed her nervousness. "Alright," she agreed. "I'll tell you everything you want to know about me…"_

* * *

"I'm sorry…"

"For what?"

"For already breaking my promise to you. I never told you what my song did."

Corrin frowned. "But…you did. You told me that the song can be used to either rejuvenate allies, or dispel possessions at the cost of some of your personal energy. You never said it would cause you pain!"

Azura shifted her gaze downwards. "I said I could do such things at the cost of my personal _vitality_."

Corrin crossed his arms. "Tell us the whole truth."

Azura glanced up at the crowd around her. "Here? Trust me, I'm fine!"

" _Now_ ," Corrin ordered. "For a moment there, it looked like you wear fading out of existence! Tell us the truth."

"But here? I'm not really comfortable telling this to everyone…"

"Azura, if you tell all of us, maybe one us would be able to help you," Hinoka offered. "You're part of our family, and its considered bad manners to _not_ help family."

Azura looked between Corrin and Hinoka, torn about her decision before finally sighing. "Fine. The whole truth then."

"The stronger a person is, the stronger I have to sing my song in order for it to work, and the weaker a person is, the less energy I need to put in. Seems fair, right?"

Everyone nodded.

"Well, there's a cost. The more energy I put into the song…the more life energy it uses."

Corrin frowned. "Life energy? But if the song was to use all of it up…"

"Then I would die, yes," Azura confirmed. "I would liquefy and dissipate into water, much like anyone who said Valla's name outside of Valla. If I was to overuse my song in a short enough period of time, or put too much life energy into it, I would die."

Corrin's eyes widened. " _What?"_

"That makes sense," Leo said, rubbing his chin.

Corrin turned on him. "How could you see the reasoning in that? That's horrible! That's…that's…"

"I never said I appreciated such a waste of life," Leo retorted. "All I'm saying is that much like using a healing staff or casting spells, Azura's song also follows a set of specific rules."

"And those rules being…?"

Leo stared in Azura's eyes. "You follow them, or you die."

"I...I don't understand," Corrin said.

"Let me explain," Leo said, shifting into lecture-mode. "Azura's song, by the loosest definition, is magic. This kind of magic—like all magic—has rules like the rest of the world. If you break or bend the rules, the penalty is death, without exception. Such acts are limited only by the user's strength. Using magic takes just as much strength and energy as it does randomly swing a sword around. If the magic was to use more energy than was in your body, then you would die. _Always_. That's why most mages and healers utilize books and healing staffs. Though this branch of study has always been hypothetical, most mages and scholars generally agree that by drawing energy from something that was once alive, one could cast spells without exhausting their own personal reserve. That's why most healing staffs are made of wood; the wood came from a tree, which was once alive."

"That…makes sense then, why I always felt so tired after singing my song," Azura admitted. She lifted the pendant off his neck and looked at it in the torchlight.

"My pendant's made of metal, so that's why I always had to literally sing my life out if I wanted anything to happen."

Azura frowned as she looked up at Leo. "Wait…does that mean that I can…"

"Use magic?" Leo finished. "Absolutely. The ability to use magic is hereditary, and since your mother can use magic, I think its more than likely that you can also use it, if not as well as a normal mage like Odin or I. It's either that, or the pendant has some sort of spell upon it that allows its wearer to manipulate the flow of energy and water around them."

"That still doesn't explain why you kept this hidden from us, Azura," Corrin said. "You promised me that you'll tell me everything!"

Azura looked at him guiltily. "I didn't want you to worry," she muttered meekly.

"And if you were to die because of your song, I was just supposed to look at that pendant sitting in a puddle of water and go, 'Hm, well that's unfortunate?'" Corrin said, getting agitated.

"I'm _sorry_ , alright?" Azura snapped back. "I'm sorry that I broke my promise already, but I knew only telling you the whole truth would make you worry, and for the greater good, your focus shouldn't be me!"

Corrin shook his head. "The greater good _is_ you, Azura. That's why I agreed to help you in the first place!"

Azura frowned. "Pardon?"

Everyone's gaze flitted between Corrin and Azura's conversation with interest.

"Azura, I think it's safe to say now that I _love_ you, despite our...circumstances," Corrin said. "I loved you from the very beginning, when we first met in Hoshido, by that lake. When you went up to me and asked me, _begged_ me, to help you stop Anankos, I remember the only thing going through my head was, 'Of course! Why wouldn't I help the love of my life?'"

Azura blushed, but she forced down her emotions. "This isn't the time, Corrin." She glanced at the people gathered around them with embarrassment, but also a little bit pleased. "I appreciate your concern, truly, I do, but the reality is simply that if I don't sing my song, we can't defeat Anankos. Trust me when I say that my entire life has led up to this: stopping Anankos."

"But—"

"Trust me, Corrin. Just because I have a pendant that saps me of my life energy whenever I sing doesn't mean I'm automatically destined to die. It only means that I'm willing to sacrifice my own wellbeing for you, and for this cause. _Trust me_ , Corrin. I don't want to die. I want to live a long and happy life, with _you_ , specifically…"

Now it was Corrin couldn't stop himself from having red tinge the tip of his ears. He looked away.

"…so believe me when I say that I won't overuse my song in such a manner again, unless it's _absolutely_ necessary."

Corrin planted his hands on his hips as he looked away, his jaw working.

"Fine," he said after a moment of deliberation. "You've made it…very clear to me before…that I can't stop you from doing what you truly believe in. Just know…"

He shook his finger threateningly at Azura. "If you die because of that damn song, I'll kill you."

Azura smiled. "Sounds…good."

Within herself, Azura breathed a sigh of relief. Everything between them would be fine.

Corrin grinned and held his hand out to help her to her feet. Barely a second passed before Azura accepted the gesture and promptly flung herself into Corrin's arms, her hands wrapping themselves around his neck.

"I'm sorry, I really am," she whispered to him and him only. "I was planning on telling you _after_ this war was over."

"Just like everything else?" he whispered back.

Azura froze, her eyes wide. Corrin sighed and rubbed the back of her head with his hand.

"It's alright," he replied. "I shouldn't have gotten so angry at you before. I know I was really angry at you, and a little embarrassed too, at us being cousins, but I love you. I know how hard it is for you to reveal your secrets to other people, but really? How were you going to tell me after the war if you died?"

Corrin could feel the embarrassment rolling off her. "I wasn't _really_ planning on singing my song against Anankos. If I did, even all the mages in the world wouldn't have enough energy to control him."

" _That_ makes me feel better," Corrin deadpanned. "If you weren't going to use your song, why did you say you were going to?"

"I _didn't_ ," she replied. "I just…sort of implied it."

"Alright then. Why did you _imply_ it?"

"…"

"Azura?"

"I just got caught up in the moment, that's all."

"Ah. I see."

"…"

"…"

"Corrin, were you being serious when you said you fell in love with me from the very first moment we met each other?"

Corrin grinned and opened his mouth to reply before Xander sternly cleared his throat.

"If you two are _done_ , we have a dragon god to track down and kill."

Sheepishly, Azura untangled herself from Corrin's arms. Corrin managed to catch Azura's attention with a wink and mouthed the word _yes._ Azura smiled.

Corrin frowned as he noticed members of the second group, the group responsible for opening the gates to let in the rest of the combined armies of Hoshido and Nohr, standing among them.

"Hey, wait a second," he started. "Why is everybody—"

"You're welcome."

Corrin turned to see a familiar white-haired, coat-wearing, tactician magician striding towards him.

"R-Robin?"

Robin grinned. "The one and only!"

Corrin's jaw dropped. "W-wait, how are you here? I thought you were supposed to stick with the rest of the army!"

Robin shrugged. "I thought so too, but apparently, the army decided to stick with me."

"Stick with you? But that means…wait a second."

The torches lined up on the walls suddenly flared brighter as Robin snapped his fingers, revealing a much larger number of bodies crowding into the throne room.

Corrin's eyes widened in surprise before he cleared his throat. "I see. Then I suppose the group I sent out to open the gates was successful?"

Robin nodded.

"And I'm assuming that the rest of the army is more-or-less in fighting condition?"

Robin grimaced. "Actually, can I talk to you about that for a moment?"

" _In private_ ," he added after Azura looked at them curiously.

"It's fine," Corrin said. "She's more than earned the right to listen."

"If you say so," Robin grunted.

Robin pulled out a tome from underneath his tomes and flipped to a page covered in drawings and pictures. "Do you know how _long_ we've been waiting out there for you guys to infiltrate the castle and open the doors for us?"

Corrin frowned. "Surely, it couldn't have been—"

"Almost _two full days!_ " Robin hissed. "That's nearly fifty seven hours and fifty two minutes! What took you guys so long? The whole operation was supposed to take less than a day, and yet somehow, you managed to drag this whole thing out double that!"

Corrin clapped his hand to his forehead. "Two full days?"

 _No wonder why I felt so tired out in the hallway. We've been walking and fighting for almost two days straight without any sleep!_

"How do you explain yourself?" Robin asked. "Do you know how _frustrating_ it is when your soldiers don't listen to you? We had a perfectly good plan and you—

"We were _sidetracked_ ," Corrin interrupted..

"Sidetracked."

"Yes, _sidetracked_. For one, not only did her _mother_ ," he waved towards Azura, who looked at them with interest, "decide to try and kill all of us, but so did my father! And you know what happened after that? My mother popped out of nowhere and told us the story of how she was Azura's mother's adoptive sister!"

"I don't see how that's relevant—"

"And that's not even talking about the countless hours we spent trying to find the bridge that'll let us safely infiltrate the castle, us walking miles upon miles to _get_ to the bridge, me finding an innocent child and promising him to help him only to transform into a giant Faceless and try to kill us, _plus_ the time we spent down in the castle labyrinths and dungeons trying to find our way to the surface! So _you_ tell me if we were sidetracked or not."

"Well, in hindsight—"

"Plus, sieges don't magically resolve themselves in a single day, Robin! The longest a siege has ever gone for in recorded history was five years! The shortest? A week! We're literally trying to achieve a new world record here, Robin. Don't tell us off for taking more time than expected. Hell, the fact we managed to infiltrate the castle at all in just a single day should be news enough! And _don't_ you _dare_ tell me off for not following _your_ instructions. I am the leader of this army, not you! If you think that just because I let you, that I _trusted_ you with running the combined armies of Hoshido and Nohr for a couple of days means that you can now disobey and work against me, you're _sorely_ mistaken."

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry!" Robin apologized. "I can see you're a little bit worked up, and that's understandable, seeing how you're suffering from both lack of adequate rest and sleep deprivation. I get it, I'm suffering from the same symptoms too. Getting a good night's sleep on a battlefield isn't exactly the easiest thing to achieve, as I'm sure you know. I'm assuming you had no idea of the time that passed by because, well, there's no sun. It's not exactly the easiest to tell the time of day when all the sky shows are islands and clouds."

Robin looked down in shame. "And...and I'm sorry about the bit where I was angry at you for not following my orders. In my homeland, where I was their grandmaster tactician, my word was the law. If I wanted something done, it was done, and always to my expectations. I guess...I guess I just miss that feeling, you know?"

Corrin's eyes softened. "I get it, but tell me. Is the army in fighting condition or not?"

Robin ran his finger down the page his tome was open to. "Yes… _but_ …"

"But what?"

Robin snapped the tome shut. "But everyone's scared," he said.

"Why?" Corrin asked.

"Morale is low among the men, and I'm already hearing plans to dessert. Mostly from the younger soldiers. It seems that the older warriors are either more loyal, or they simply want to portray themselves as being better than the other everyone arrived here in Valla, remember, everyone was split up. One group would consist of nearly a hundred men while another would consist of only three. We landed here unorganized and were completely surprised by the amount of resistance Valla provided. First day, we lost nearly one thousand nine hundred forty-seven men. Assuming the total number of soldiers both Hoshido and Nohr that came with us added up to ten thousand, that makes up for nearly nineteen percent of our total forces."

Corrin pinched the bridge of his nose. "Gods…"

"Those casualty numbers also included the operation where we had to split our forces between the eight forts," Robin explained. He glanced up at Corrin, whose face had paled somewhat.

"So...that's a thing," he finished awkwardly. He patted him on the shoulder.

"Trust me, Corrin. These numbers mean little—er—actually, they do mean something, but what I meant to say was that every one of those numbers were people who signed up to fight. They knew the risks."

"I know," Corrin replied, his voice hollow. "I just didn't expect so many on the first day. What about the rest?"

Robin cleared his throat. "Second and third days, we occupied and took over the fort where the mage had set up her command post. Those were also the days where we were trying to find a map of the area that showed where that bridge was. Little to no deaths those two days, thankfully, since the Vallites decided to pull back out of the area. Only fifty-four killed in the taking of the fort and driving out the rest of the Vallites in the area. As for the siege…well, it's not pretty."

"Hit me."

"First day, we lost nearly two thousand men. The Vallites proved to be a much more credible threat than we had first anticipated, and they made use of guerrilla tactics, picking off stragglers and the wounded as we marched. Second day, we dug in around the castle and prepared to siege it. That was when the shelling began."

"Shelling?"

Robin nodded. "Shelling. Anankos plays dirty, he does. He ordered his mages to cast spells like Ignis and Thoron on large cast-iron balls before catapulting them into our camp. I thought we were positioned far enough away that the catapults wouldn't reach us, but…I was outplayed. As the catapults launched the iron balls, the mages cast a multitude of wind spells upon them. Spells that make them fly further, fly faster, hit harder."

Corrin looked up at him. "So how many are left?"

Robin's mouth became a grim slash. "Barely more than a thousand and four hundred. One thousand four hundred sixty-six, to be exact."

Corrin nearly swore.

 _So few?_

As if she had heard him, Robin dryly replied, "Trust me, this is nothing compared to one of operations I commanded back in the day."

"What happened?"

Robin tapped his chin. "Well, let's just say, the last time I was outplayed this badly, it involved a bunch of dynasts going back on their word and almost fifty thousand souls lost. In an hour."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better…how?"

"It's not." Robin clapped Corrin on the shoulders. "Just remember this. Even in the darkest of times, they will always be light. Did you think I immediately retired and hung up my coat just because a bunch of turncoats were forced to betray us? No! I stayed put and I adapted to the situation. You lost nearly eight thousand men over the course of the last two days, and now you have little more than a thousand. Don't moan and gripe about how everything is impossible now, because it's _not_. Those soldiers gave their lives, so _you_ can succeed."

"I don't know, Robin. We're facing a dragon god. A thousand souls aren't going to do much to him."

Robin scoffed. "Corrin, would you believe me if I told you that I was from another world?"

Corrin shrugged. "Probably. Why? Does it matter?"

"I think it might matter a _little_ bit, because in my world, there was a dragon, just like Anankos. Insane. Mad. Wanted to destroy everything. But me and my friends, a group numbering just under fifty people managed to stop him. Granted, one of them was the exalt of one of the most powerful kingdoms at the time, and he and his daughter wielded a sword _designed_ to kill dragons, but that's not important. What's important is that even in the face of great odds, you can never be surprised at just how hard people are willing to fight."

Corrin pursed his lips.

"When your back is up against a wall, and the only thing between you and achieving your destiny is a gargantuan dragon bent on bathing the world in fire, you don't meekly accept your death like that. Well, some people might, but only those pure of heart and having nothing to lose will fight back," Robin continued. "I ended two wars, literally killed a god-like dragon just like you, went back in time to prevent said-dragon from doing the same thing in my best friend's daughter's future just to travel to another world to do the exact same thing. _Again_. You're _not_ going to give up just because a couple thousand people died. You're going to take those feelings of regret and turn it in anger and a desire for revenge, because that's what I did! I used my feelings of regret and forged them into my destiny. If I can do it, so can you."

"You're rambling" Corrin muttered as Robin shook his shoulders. "But your words do contain a grain of truth."

"Of course it contains a grain of truth," Robin retorted. "It all happened."

"I can see you ending wars, and since you _do_ seem like the type travel between worlds, I can see how there can be another dragon like Anankos out there, but time travel? Seriously? That sound a little bit far-fetched, don't you think?"

"I swear on my life it happened," Robin stated.

Corrin sighed. "Whatever. I'll admit, you do have an odd way to inspire confidence—if you can call this sense of queasiness and newfound purpose confidence—in me."

Robin smiled and released Corrin. "That's the spirit!"

Corrin returned the grin begrudgingly. "Only question is, 'where is Anankos?' Azura confirmed this was the throne room, yet…there's no king."

Robin frowned. "Well, he might've—what?" He was interrupted by Laslow, Odin, and Selena clearing their throats.

"Oh. It's you three. What did you need?"

Laslow grinned nervously. "Ah, well, Odin and I found…something. I think you'll need to see this."

Robin raised an eyebrow and gave Corrin an apologetic look. "I do apologize for the interruption."

Corrin waved his hand dismissively. "It's fine, it's fine. You can talk to other people if you want. It's not like you're bound into my service or anything."

Robin nodded as Laslow, Odin, and Selena dragged him away. They whispered something in his ear, and almost instantly, the smile faded from his face as he looked at the three of them in bewilderment.

Corrin sighed and ran his hands through his hair as Azura approached.

"He's…certainly interesting," she said after a moment.

"That he is," Corrin agreed. "Time travel? Come on, who does he think I am?"

Azura nodded in agreement. They stood there, together, looking at the throne buried in the wall where Corrin had slapped it when Azura suddenly said, "I think I know where Anankos is."

Corrin looked at her. "Do you?"

She nodded. "I think he's—"

"Let's give the men a couple minutes to rest first, alright? I know how close we are to him, but everyone's tired, and we can afford a minute or two. Plus, I need to deal with Gunter. As much as it hurts me to say it, he's a traitor, and unfortunately, I'm bound by both the law and my own safety to have him imprisoned.

Azura pursed her lips. "Well…if you must. Just trust me when I say he's really close."

Corrin nodded. "Don't worry, I won't be long. Soon, all of this will be over. In one way or another."


	27. Chapter 27: Endgame

"…so see if you can take him back to camp and make sure he doesn't escape," Corrin finished, sparing a guilty glance at Gunter, who hung limply between the arms of two soldiers. The old retainer looked away as Corrin tried to catch his eye, to silently tell him that he still believed in him, though both parties knew that wasn't the case.

"…I know he was once my retainer," Corrin added on hesitantly, "and I hate giving these kinds of orders, but if he tries to escape or do anything of the kind…put him down. Permanently."

The captain, a stout-jawed man with a scar on his lower-left chin and sandy-blonde hair, nodded. "By your command!" he said before snapping a salute and turning towards the group of soldiers behind him.

Corrin tried to catch Gunter's eye again, but the old knight looked away, purposely avoiding his gaze. The tips of Corrin's ears drooped ever so slightly as he sighed and grasped Yato's pommel, the legendary weapon humming as if it knew how close it was to its ultimate goal.

Corrin looked around the throne room at what remained of the combined Hoshidan and Nohrian army. What was once an army of proud, well-trained, and fearsome warriors numbering in the thousands was now barely more than a group of a few hundred bruised, battered, and tired men.

Corrin sighed as he gazed at a shroud bundled in the center of the room, resting in the center of a blackened smear. Both Hoshidan and Nohrian soldiers kept a respectful distance and silence around it. Gunter, under the influence of Anankos, had cast a _Thoron,_ one of the rarest and most powerful spells ever conceived by mankind. Even Leo was reluctant to use it, fearful of the amount of energy, willpower, and focus needed to cast it.

A split second of wavering concentration could mean instant death to both caster and target, so how a normal person could use magic so quickly, even Leo was not sure, since the ability to warp and manipulate the energy around a person often took years of skill or practice, or more often, being born with the ability.

He had never known Gunter to be able to use magic, nor would he have had the opportunity to finetune such a complex skill on his own during the war, which meant the only plausible solution was that Anankos somehow "passed down" to ability to use magic down to Gunter while he was in his thrall.

But debates about how Gunter could suddenly use magic would do nothing to bring Reina back. The spell had struck her directly, around her chest and face. Normally, according to Leo, Hayato, and the rest of the more accomplished mages in the army, casting such a destructive spell and hitting a target spot-on was rare, and in the case of Reina, instant death.

As for Reina's corpse…well…

Where Reina had last stood when the spell struck laid a blackened, withered corpse, its smoking limbs clenched tight, like that of a dead spider. The whole thing was so charred and pitted that it was barely recognizable as anything that had once been human, much less alive.

There weren't even enough parts of her that were tangible enough for them to pick up and properly bury, so they were forced to leave the blackened skeleton there, with a shroud covering it.

His gaze settled on Orochi sitting blank-faced against the wall. Corrin wished he could do something more to alleviate her pain, but there wasn't much he could do besides letting her grief. He tried to say some words of comfort, anything to break the diviner's grief-stricken silence, but the only change in her behavior was for a fresh line of tears to plop silently onto the floor.

Corrin had never known Reina to a level beyond that of what he called a friend, but it was obvious even to a dullard that Orochi's relationship with her fellow retainer was not the same as his.

Both women had served as his mother's retainer when she was still alive, and when Anankos murdered her, their services passed into his own, befitting his technical status her heir. They could not have been any more different from each other.

Orochi was a fun-loving, sentimental woman with a habit of speaking in an old-fashioned way while Reina…was more interesting. On the battlefield, she was a wraith, the likes of which even Camilla couldn't hold up to, but off it? Well, she was then a completely different person, almost motherly in behavior and tone.

Corrin would be sad to see her gone.

Despite their differences from each other, it was obvious that both women cared greatly for each other. Both had worked as Mikoto's retainers for a long time, and according to Ryoma and Yukimara, both started working under her at around the same time, which meant they would've worked together for nigh-on a decade and a half, which was a long time indeed, which made it all the more understandable for Orochi's sudden shutdown.

She was in no condition to fight, but when he crouched next to her to tell her that, she had lashed out with such vehemence that he stumbled backward, unused to hearing such vitriol out her mouth.

"I will _kill_ that damnable dragon myself if I have to!" she hissed. "And you're not going to be the one telling me 'no!'"

Corrin closed his eyes and rubbed them in both exhaustion and frustration. Once upon a time, in what felt like an eternity ago, talk of finally finishing the war seemed like idle chatter, reserved for talks late into the night. Now that what they were about to do was upon them, the whole idea seemed terrifying.

Robin's words about the loss of nearly eight thousand souls in the span of less than half a week continued to haunt Corrin's mind as he stared intently at the fellow tactician across the massive throne chamber. The tactician was engaged in a heated argument between Odin, Laslow, and Selena. Corrin watched with tempered amusement as Robin waved his heads above his head and pulled at his hair.

"No, no, no!" he shouted faintly. "I know you want to rescue her as much as I do, but we just don't have enough men or time to send out a search party! Absolutely not. I'm denying it _with vehemence._ "

"Don't call us _vehement,_ " Laslow countered. "We don't know what that means!"

"I didn't even call you vehement! If anything, I should be the one calling _myself_ vehement!"

Corrin's ears pricked up slightly at the sound of bare feet padding behind him. He turned his head to see the form of Azura gliding almost silently towards him.

"Yes?" he asked. "What do you need?"

Azura took a moment to rub her eyes before responding. She too, was part of his personal guard, as part of the elite group, was an integral part of their mission to infiltrate Castle Gyges and open the gates from within, and as such, was also among those who hadn't taken a break beyond a few minutes of sitting down for the last two days.

Corrin couldn't believe it when Robin had revealed that Corrin and his elite group had been gone down in the castle labyrinths and dungeons for nearly _two_ days. No wonder why he had felt increasingly exhausted.

First their battle with Arete, then being ambushed underground, getting separated from the group, finding his way back only to kill Sumeragi, meeting his mother one last time, and most recently, determining the identity of the spy and subduing Gunter. He could scarcely believe that had _all_ happened in _two_ days.

"I'm…I'm not sure," Azura responded tiredly. She looked terrible, with dark bags underneath her eyes and the weariness in her voice even more profound than usual.

"I thought that Anankos would be in the throne room, but it turns out that the 'Vallite King,' was Gunter," she explained. "So…so why isn't he here?"

"Well, you heard what he said," Corrin replied. "Anankos took control over him, which means he's still out there somewhere. Maybe he's hiding?"

"I doubt it," Leo said curtly.

Corrin and Azura turned to see Leo walking towards. "Apologies for eavesdropping," he apologized, "but I sent a couple men to look around this castle and…"

"…and what?" Azura asked. "What did they find?"

Leo, looking uncharacteristically nervous, rubbed his hands together, a habit he only does when he feeling even the slightest bit of hesitation. "Well…you'll want to see this for yourself."

Corrin and Azura looked at each other. "Show us," Corrin ordered.

"As you wish," Leo said dryly towards where Xander and Ryoma were standing on the dais where the throne previously occupied until Corrin destroyed and implanted the throne into the wall. The two crown princes looked up towards the trio, halting their hushed conversation.

"Xander," Corrin greeted, nodding towards him. "Ryoma. What were you two talking about?"

Xander's brow furrowed as Ryoma gestured towards the far end of the throne room with a jerk of his head, towards the darkness. "We just sent out a patrol of soldiers, to investigate and scout out the rest of the throne room," Ryoma explained. "And they still haven't reported back yet."

Azura frowned. "That's…unusual," she said. "I don't remember the throne room being so long or large."

"That was bothering us too," Xander agreed. "Something about these shadows…it feels a bit _unnatural_ , doesn't it?"

Corrin peered forward in the darkness, past the torchlight. "Well…now that you mention it," Corrin muttered.

He turned towards Leo. "Hey, Leo!" he called. The Nohrian prince cocked his head.

"I'm standing behind you. Why do you need to shout? What do you want?"

"Isn't there a kind of spell out there that's able to create or manipulate light?" Corrin asked.

Leo nodded slowly. "Why?"

"Are you able to detect it?"

"Yes. Again, why?"

"Can…can you reverse the effects of it or negate it?"

Leo's lips tightened. "Depends on the proficiency of the other caster," he said. "Truth be told, this branch of magic has never been my strong point. But you're avoiding my question. Why?"

Corrin turned to look at the shadows beyond them. "Well, something about this darkness doesn't sit well with me. I mean, the torches are only a couple of feet behind us. So why doesn't the light go further?"

Leo looked behind them at the aforementioned torches and looked down. True to Corrin's words, despite the light, as soon as it reached a couple of feet beyond the edge of the dais, the light fizzled out, becoming one with the darkness.

"Huh." Leo rubbed his chin. "Are…are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Azura looked between the two men, utterly lost. Despite Corrin's naïve nature, he could often be two to three steps ahead of everyone else, herself included, which made her feel…odd. She didn't hate it, but it still felt odd to not be looked at as an all-knowing sage for once.

"That Anankos is casting a certain type of magic that artificially drains the light out of certain areas, in order to make it easier for him to pick us off one by one if we ever decide to rush him?" Corrin asked. "I think so."

Leo sighed. "You'd best get the men ready then. Usually, a spell's effect is stronger the closer it is to its caster when cast, which means that, for instance, if the spell is this strong—"

"—then we're close to him," Corrin finished grimly. "Don't worry. I'll get the men ready, and then I'll be up in the front."

Behind him, Xander and Ryoma frowned deeply. "You can't possibly be—"

"We've gone over this before," Corrin sighed. "I have the Yato. According to the Rainbow Sage, its sole purpose for being created is to kill Anankos. I have a feeling that I'll be much safer if I'm standing at the front of the army with it compared to standing in the back without it."

Xander sighed and shook his head. "If you believe so," he said hesitatingly.

"What you two—" he pointed towards Ryoma and Xander, "—need to do is stand by my side. I'll—"

Ryoma forestalled him with a raise of his finger. "Do you really think we'll just let you take on all of Anankos' forces by yourself?" he asked.

Xander's lips tightened, but he stepped forward to rest a hand on Corrin's shoulder as well. "Plus, what made you think that we _won't_ stand by you?"

"X-Xander! Ryoma! What are you two—"

"Perhaps it's the sense of either impending doom or finality upon us, little prince, but I have a feeling that either way, this all ends. Today," Xander said.

Ryoma nodded in agreement. "I agree. You've led us this far. I think—"

"H-hey!" Corrin protested, making a time out sign with his hands. "Let's not read our eulogies and obituaries yet! All I was going to ask if you two could remain by my side. We'll be in the thick of battle, and you two are the only ones who can possibly hope to keep up with me."

"Again, Corrin," Ryoma said. "We know. All we wanted to say was that…I'm proud of you. _We're_ both proud of you," giving a look towards Xander.

Xander coughed awkwardly as he caught the look Ryoma was giving him and squeezed Corrin's shoulders. "Likewise. You've come a long way from being a young, naïve prince living in the Northern Fortress. Now, you're a warrior, and a prince responsible for leading the armies of Hoshido and Nohr against one last threat so that Hoshido and Nohr may coexist together."

"Peacefully," Ryoma added. "You forgot to say the word peacefully."

Corrin looked between his two brothers. "Did…did you plan this whole thing out?"

Xander hastily shook his head as Ryoma shrugged nonchalantly. "What of it?" the samurai asked. "We're about to finish off Anankos for good, and I thought it would do you some good to hear some encouragement."

"Oh. Well then." Corrin rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks."

"Don't worry, little prince," Xander said with a smile, though his eyes remained as stern and alert as ever. "We'll win this."

Corrin looked at Azura. "Are…you going to—"

"I'm going to be in the front. With you," she affirmed. "I've been waiting for this moment my entire life, the moment where Anankos is finally put to rest. I'm not going to stay in the back."

"You'll be in even greater danger than the rest of us then," Corrin said. "You don't have a divine weapon to protect yourself with, and—"

"I have my pendant," she countered, holding it out for him to see. "That's the second reason I need to be up here with you. I'll need to sing my song in order to—"

"No." Corrin slashed his hand through the air. "Absolutely not. You said it yourself. The stronger an enemy is, the more energy you'll have to use. And if you use too much energy, then—"

"Then I'll die." Azura looked up into Corrin's eyes. "I'm ready for this. Nothing you'll say will change my mind. I _will_ use my song to weaken Anankos, and I _will_ use my song to help rejuvenate our allies. Nothing you do or say will change my mind on this."

"Nothing, huh?" Corrin crossed his arms and looked down at his feet, his jaw working. Behind him, Xander and Ryoma shifted uneasily as they stepped away, towards Leo.

"Fine, then," he said finally. He gently rested a hand on her shoulder. "Promise me two things then."

Azura pursed her lips. "I don't think I—"

"Two things. Promise me them."

Azura looked down and tightened her grip on her naginata. "Very well then," she sighed. "What are they?"

"The first thing is that when this is all over, when we can finally sit back and not have to worry about some stupid war or something, promise me that you'll seek me out and clear up everything."

"Everything about what?"

"You, your history, the song, your pendant, our bloodline." Corrin gripped her shoulders firmly. " _Everything_."

Azura swallowed. "I…I promise."

"Say it."

Azura sighed. "I promise I'll find you after the war and tell you everything you want to know about us. Happy?"

"Not yet." Corrin squeezed her shoulders again. "Now for my second promise…promise me that if something goes wrong, you'll save yourself and leave the rest of us behind, alright?"

Azura opened her mouth to protest, my Corrin silenced her by placing a finger over her lips. "I know I asked you this before, at the fort and before we dropped into Valla, but this time, I won't take no for an answer. The instant you see that all hope of victory is lost, you run yourself out of here to safety. Promise?"

"I-I can't," she whispered. "My place is here. With you!"

"No, it's not," Corrin said, equally gently. "Even though I'm still a bit confused on this whole cousins thing, I love you. I love you, Azura. I can't bear seeing you hurt or killed."

"Or I, you," she whispered back.

"I want to spare you from that sight," Corrin said. "You're a gifted songstress and a beautiful dancer, but in this kind of battle…well, I brushed up on a few of Leo's old war books. It's going to get ugly when it happens. Chaos. Bloodshed the likes of which you've never seen before."

"Neither have you," she countered.

"I have," Corrin said sternly. "I've seen it, and I've been in it, so trust me when I say that the only reason why I want you away from this fight is because there's probably going to be an even greater chance of me being hurt trying to protect you than you being hurt because you're trying to protect _me._ "

"Azura tried to protest. "B-but—"

Corrin sighed. "I know I'm not usually this…pessimistic," he said, "but I've talked to Robin, went over it in my head, and conversed with Leo about it. I'm going to be honest, Azura. With so little men, and Anankos having nearly an unlimited amount of undead soldiers, I don't actually know if we're going to win this one. In the case that the worst _does_ come to pass, I want—"

Corrin fell silent as Azura cupped his cheek in her hand, her skin cool against his. "I'm sorry Corrin, but this is the only thing I can't promise you," she said sadly. "If this doesn't turn out the way it should've been…I…I'd rather die than to be alone, without you, constantly asking myself where everything went wrong."

Corrin sighed and released Azura, pinching the bridge of his nose. "…Very well then," he said finally. "If you wish. As much as I hate it. At least promise me that you'll drop back if you find yourself overwhelmed, alright?"

Azura frowned, but finally agreed. "I…promise," she slowly said. "But only if you promise you won't go up against Anankos by yourself."

Corrin took her hand and squeezed it. "I promise I won't." Then, trying to lighten the mood, he quipped, "Though I heard dragons were resistant to every type of attack, save for, of course, dragon type attacks."

Azura sighed exasperatedly and stepped away from Corrin. "Don't you have to prepare the men for combat?"

The playful grin on Corrin's face instantly died away. "Yes, of course," he said monotonously before walking away.

Azura watched him leave, and, when she was sure there was nobody around to see her, she collapsed back against a wall and slid to the floor, letting her arms wrap around her legs and her head fall onto her knees.

By the end of the day, everything would be over. Her mother, father, and aunt could finally rest. Her people could finally rest. But most importantly of all, both she and Corrin could finally rest.

Together.

* * *

"Ready, Leo?" Corrin asked, sparing a glance towards the prince.

Leo flipped furiously through his book. "Just about," he replied. "I'll need a few more moments to prepare the counter-spell though."

Corrin nodded. "Take your time."

He glanced back towards the array of men spread out behind them, weapons drawn and faces set. Most of them looked determined, but Corrin didn't know whether or not they _felt_ determined.

The only light they had was from the faint glow of the torches behind them. Whatever excess light was swallowed by the darkness in front of them, which made it useless for those in front to carry torches or lights of their own.

"You ready for this?" Silas asked, whispering to make he didn't disturb Leo, whose lips were moving so fast, they appeared to be a blur.

"Not really," Corrin admitted. "I already told Azura this, but based solely on the amount of men we have left, the only way we'll be coming out on top is if we get lucky."

Silas grinned and rotated his shoulder, his body stiff. "Yeah, well, even if we don't win today, I'm sure bards will sing of your heroic enterprise into the unknown."

"It's not mine, though," Corrin protested. "If anything, they should be singing about Azura."

"Are you still hung up about Azura being your cousin?" Silas asked.

Corrin looked away. "It's…complicated," he said after a moment's pause. "On one hand, I really do love her. On the other hand…I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that we're cousins."

Silas playfully slugged Corrin on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it too much," he said. "I'm sure the two of you will figure something out before you two get married. It's not like the practice is uncommon among the nobility."

The tips of Corrin's ears turned scarlet as he unsheathed Yato, the light from the blade adding to the faint torchlight. "First off, just because other people do doesn't mean we should do it, and secondly, focus, Silas," he chided. "Let's talk about our relationship problems after this is over."

Silas grinned and shook his head. "As you wish, milord."

Corrin spared another glance over his shoulder at the army. The men were nervous; some of the younger ones looked as if they might be sick—and some were, which was something to be expected—but even some of the older men seemed tense, short-tempered.

Corrin could tell simply by the way they talked when they were resting up. Some were overly talkative. Some were over withdrawn. The cause was obvious enough.

All of the men knew how lucky they were to survive as long as they had in Valla. Whatever words of confidence Robin had said to them earlier, now, the confidence was gone, replaced by skittishness and the feeling of dreadful anticipation.

Corrin knew that there was little he could do to help them other than hide his own fears and hope that the men did not lose courage entirely.

The sense of anticipation that clung to everyone there, himself included, was terrifying. They had sacrificed so…so much in order to reach their point, and it wasn't just their own lives that were at stake here. To the men, however, all they knew, from what Xander, Ryoma, or Robin told them, they were about to face a great evil intent on destroying the rest of their world and that they were the last remaining forces standing against it. But to Corrin, it was the safety and well-being of Azura and his friends, as well as the future of the world itself

All of their prior battles had been similarly fraught, but this…this was the final one. This was the end. One way or another, there would be no more battles after this day.

The thought hardly felt real. Never again would they have a chance to kill and dethrone Anankos. Never again would Corrin and Azura spend countless sleepless nights bouncing ideas off each other, asking what would be the best way to dethrone Anankos.

And while confronting Anankos had seemed fine enough in conversations late at night, now that the moment was almost upon them, the prospect was terrifying. Corrin shot a glance toward Azura, who caught his gaze and nodded, once.

Corrin nodded back, before turning his attention back to Leo. Leo snapped Bryhildr shut with a _snap_. The sound echoed around the chamber.

"Ready?" Corrin asked.

Leo nodded. He raised his hand out in front of him and a great light shone out from his hand. " _Lumos!"_ he shouted.

Corrin, Xander, Ryoma, Azura, and the rest of the men behind them all cringed and averted their gaze from the blinding light. As soon as the light died down to a more tolerable level, Corrin sent his eyes spiraling around the area in front of them, hoping to look for any signs of their foe.

To his disbelief, however, there was nothing. Nothing save for a giant stone mask nestled in the wall, the benevolent expression on its face in stark contrast to the feelings of shock and disbelief rippling through the army.

"Where…where is he?" Xander asked. He turned towards Azura. "I thought you said he would be here!"

"I-I thought so too!" Azura said, stepping forward. "But there's something about this mask though that bothers me."

Corrin frowned as he realized what Azura was saying. "Wait, Azura! Are…are you saying that the statue in front of us is somehow related to Anankos?"

Azura pursed her lips. "I'm…not sure," she said slowly, stepping forward, looking up at the mask. "I've heard people refer to Anankos as 'The Masked Dragon' but I was never really sure if it was meant to be literal or not."

Corrin grunted as he unsheathed Yato and strode forward, towards the mask. "Well, I guess there's only one way to find out!" he said, raising the blade behind him.

The entire held their breath as they watched the golden arc descend. Yato bounced cleanly off the stone, carving out a barely noticeable sliver. Corrin cursed and stumbled backward to maintain his balance, and as he did so, a low rumble shook throughout the entire castle.

Everyone slowly turned their heads up at the ceiling, wary for any signs of cracks or collapse. As they did so, Azura noticed something out the corner of her eye.

"Look!" she said, pointing.

Everyone directed their gaze back towards the mask, or more accurately, the mask's chin, considering the fact that oval-shaped face was easily more than fifty feet tall. Corrin took a step backward as a black smoke snaked its way out from behind the mask.

"Azura?" he called. "What is this?"

"I-I don't know," she replied, uncertainty plastered across her face for once. "I never heard or read about—"

" _CHILD OF MY ENEMY, WHY HAVE YOU COME?_ ", a voice rumbled, shaking the chamber even more. " _I OFFER NO MERCY OR FORGIVENESS, FOR A FATHER'S SINS PASSES TO HIS SON."_

Corrin's jaw dropped as the chamber continued to shake even more, and as he watched, the mask _moved_ , a thick, scaly, almost-draconic neck pulsing and writhing behind it as it rose up to look down at him and the army. Though there was no visible change in the mask's expression, there was an air of contempt around it as the mask gazed down at him.

"Are…are you Anankos?" Corrin asked, squinting his eyes to avoid being blinded by the dust falling from the ceiling.

" _I AM THE FORGOTTEN GOD,_ " the voice rumbled again. " _THE BETRAYED KING. THE BURIED DRAGON."_

The mask swept itself low to the ground towards Corrin. Everyone shuffled backwards, swords being unsheathed and spearpoints leveled towards the mask and the inhuman neck writhing behind it. The mask paused a few feet away from Corrin, who stepped backwards.

" _CORRIN…"_ Anankos rumbled. " _I'VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU."_

"So you really are Anankos then, huh?" Corrin muttered. Raising his voice, he pointed Yato towards the giant stone mask resting in front of him and shouted, "You've been toying with us humans for far too long! You've destroyed Valla, robbed Azura of her family and childhood, but most importantly you're the one responsible for instigating the war between Hoshido and Nohr. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Anankos chuckled, a low rumbling sound which caused the very ground to shake. " _TELL ME CORRIN,"_ he said. " _WHY?"_

"…Why what?"

" _WHY IS IT WRONG TO MANIPULATE YOU HUMANS?"_ Anankos asked. _"YOU ARE WEAK. YOU ARE STUPID. YOU ARE BARBARIC AND VIOLENT. HUMANITY HAS FORGOTTEN ITS PLACE IN THE WORLD—AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, ITS POSITION AS NOTHING MORE THAN AMUSEMENT FOR YOUR BENEFACTORS. THE SOLE REASON HUMANITY EXISTS IS SO THAT DRAGONS CAN HAVE SOURCE OF ENTERTAINMENT. SO TELL ME WHY, CORRIN! WHY AM_ _ **I**_ _THE ONE TO SUFFER? WHY AM_ _ **I**_ _THE ONE TO BE DIE? WHY IS THAT HUMANITY FLOURISHES WHILE I AM BURIED IN VALLA, IGNORED? FORGOTTEN?_ _ **TELL ME WHY!**_ _"_

"Everyone! Get back!" Xander shouted. "Back!"

A low thunder of feet sounded as everyone scrambled backwards, eager to escape the wrath of the dragon's mask, which was now thrashing about, akin to that of a child throwing a temper tantrum. Corrin backflipped through the air and landed lithely next to Azura, Ryoma, and Xander. Azura's knuckles whitened as she tightened her grip on her naginata, her other hand clutching at her pendant.

"Oh my," she whispered.

"What's wrong?" Corrin asked. "Is this not Anankos?"

"It is," she replied, "but when I heard talk about how people called Anankos mad…I didn't expect him to be…this deranged."

"Well, that's what the word 'mad,' usually means," Leo said. He turned towards Corrin, Ryoma, and Xander. "So what's the plan?"

Everyone, including Azura, turned towards him, their faces hopeful and wanting to hear some sort of plan from him. Corrin blinked and looked back towards the thrashing dragon.

"Well, it's the same as before," he said with much more confidence than he actually felt. "Everyone with a divine weapon, meaning me, Xander, Ryoma, Takumi, and Leo—everyone I just mentioned, they're responsible for tackling and hitting Anankos as hard as they can, and with everything they got. As for Azura…as much as I hate it, see if you can use your song to weaken him somewhat, at the very least distract him. The _moment_ you feel like you're about to collapse, I want you at the back of the army, where our mages and healers can clear you up."

"What about the rest of us?" Laslow asked. "We still gotta get paid!"

Corrin pursed his lips. "Do you ever stop thinking about getting paid, Laslow?" he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose. "As for the rest of you, try to support the people using divine weapons as much as you can. Clear a path for us, so that we can have a straight shot towards Anankos. Keep those soldiers off our backs, and so long as our resolve holds strong, we will not fail!"

Corrin noticed that the rest of the soldiers were huddling around him. Some looked scared, some dejected, but all wanting to hear some sort of inspiration, _anything_ to help bolster their resolve. And so Corrin did so.

He pumped his fist into the air. "We've come too far to give up now. If you get hurt or wounded, hit back even harder. If you get killed…well, then walk it off. All of us have lost something because of Anankos, whether it be our mothers, our childhoods, our futures, or our friends—all of it ends today. The world is at stake here, so don't falter! Fight for this world, for your future, but most importantly, your future! We will cut into their lines, and show that dragons that humanity is more than just a plaything for dragons to bat around at a whim. And nothing... _nothing_ is going to get in our way!"

Everyone gave a shout of approval as they pumped their own fists into the air before unsheathing their weapons and charged forward towards Anankos, with Corrin, Azura, Xander, and Ryoma at the forefront, with Takumi, Leo, and the rest of their respective retainers trailing behind. The rest of the army followed suit, inspired into action by seeing the sight of their leaders charging forward.

Corrin took a place at the forefront of the charge. It was the fastest and easiest way to get himself killed, he knew, but the men needed to see him braving the same dangers they faced, and with determination to boot. It would. He hoped in the back of his mind, help stiffen their spines further and keep them from breaking rank at the first sign of serious opposition. For whatever happened, Anankos was _not_ going to go down easy.

Of that, he was sure.

Anankos' mask suddenly stopped thrashing as it noticed the army bearing down at him. A pair of fell orbs lit in the mask's closed eyes as it roared, the stone around the mask's mouth cracking and separating to create a type of pseudo-mouth.

" _ANSWER ME,"_ he roared. " _TELL ME, YOU PATHETIC HUMANS."_

"How… _this_ for an answer?" Corrin shouted, tensing his legs and springing twenty, thirty feet into the air, aided by the sudden transformation of his legs into their draconic counterpart. The increased strength helped him jump higher than any human, and as he fell, he put all his strength, determination, fear, and resolve into one, devastating blow with Yato, the golden blade cleaving through the air, hissing, as it descended onto the mask's nose.

The blade bounced off like it was nothing, and Corrin grunted as he crashed into the giant stone face and slid to the ground.

"Corrin!" Azura shouted.

As if a coin had flipped, the mood shifted. The army slowed to a halt at the sight of their prince struggling to his feet.

Corrin grimaced in pain as he reached down to pick up Yato. As he looked back up at the statue, the sight of the unmarred mask caused a pit to form in his stomach.

"Nothing?" he whispered. "Not even a scratch?"

Anankos reared his head back and roared at Corrin, causing him to skid back ever-so-slightly by the force of his rage.

" _YOU DARE?_ " Anankos roared. " _YOU_ _ **DARE**_ _TO BARE YOUR TEETH AT ME? LASHING OUT WITH THAT PATHETIC TOOTHPICK THAT MY FOOL OF A FRIEND CREATED TO KILL ME? YOU'RE ONE OF MY BLOODLINE, AND YET YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO STRIKE YOUR ELDER? I WILL KILL YOU, CORRIN, AND THEN I'LL KILL YOUR CARCASS._ _ **YOU WILL BECOME A VESSEL FOR ME!**_ "

All around them, shouts of panic and surprise rose up from the rest of the army as countless Vallites emerged out the shadows on the walls or the pools of water on the floor. Sounds of fighting soon broke out, and Corrin could dimly hear the voices of Silas and Leo shouting and trying to organize their ranks.

"It's a trap!" Leo shouted.

"Push them back! Don't let them get to the royals!"

Corrin grimaced as he struggled to his feet, looking at Yato hanging loosely from his hand. "How…how did this happen? The Rainbow Sage said that Yato was the only weapon capable of truly killing Anankos, but it didn't even do anything!"

" _DID YOU ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT OLD FOOL?"_ Anankos asked. " _WHAT GIVES YOU THE IDEA THAT YOU'LL SUCCEED WHERE EVEN THE TORN OUT PORTION OF MY SOUL COULD NOT?"_

Corrin looked up at the giant stone mask in confusion. "'Torn out portion of your soul?'" he asked. "What are you talking about?"

Though the eyes on the stone mask remained closed, a spark of malevolent light shone through them for a split second, causing Corrin to involuntarily shudder.

"Corrin!"

Corrin turned around to see Ryoma and Xander waving towards him, their weapons drawn and leveled towards Anankos. "Didn't you say that you won't try to challenge Anankos by yourself?" Azura asked from somewhere behind them.

"We came this far to _help_ you take him down, remember?" Takumi reminded. "At the very least, let us have a part of the fun and glory this time."

" _IMPUDENT_ _ **FOOLS**_ ," Anankos jeered. " _AS IF YOU SIMPLE CREATURES COULD EVER HOPE TO STOP A DRAGON."_

Anankos reared his head back, a brilliant ball of violet light, streams of what appeared to be water cascading across the surface of it, gathering above his mouth. Corrin realized what was going to happen a half-second too late.

"Run!"

Anankos hurled the death orb towards Ryoma, Azura, and Xander. A brilliant light shone through the chamber, and then the floor exploded in front of them.

"No!" Corrin shouted, reaching towards them. Next to him, Yato clattered noisily to the ground.

"No, no, no…" Corrin muttered to himself as he ran over to where his siblings were last standing. As he neared the massive cloud of dust billowing outwards, a blue light started to shine through the rubble.

Corrin slowed to a halt as the visages of Ryoma, Takumi, Xander, and Leo all kneeling or crouching, as if expecting a heavy blow, which, considering the circumstances, was the only obvious explanation. Standing in front of them, arms spread out, pendant floating magically in front of her chest, was Azura, her song echoing eerily throughout the chamber and causing a familiar energy to course through Corrin's veins.

"Azura…?"

Slowly, as they realized that they were, in fact, not dead yet, and that they were also feeling the rejuvenating effects of Azura's song, based on Ryoma opening and closing his hand and flexing his biceps, they slowly stood back upright and glared at Anankos, who merely snorted in annoyance.

" _OF COURSE THE RHEOS SAVES YOU,"_ he jeered. " _HER BLOODLINE HAS BEEN A THORN IN MY SCALES FOR FAR TOO LONG, AND ITS ABOUT TIME I HAD ANOTHER ONE OF YOU IN MY SERVICE."_

"Never!" Azura shouted back, her normally calm and reserved voice replaced with desperation, grief, and above all else, anger. "Ever since your descent into madness, you've been nothing but a plague on Valla!"

" _ME?_ " Anankos asked mockingly. " _PLEASE, I WAS THE ONE WHO_ SAVED _YOU. WERE IT NOT FOR ME, YOU HUMANS WOULD'VE DRIVEN YOURSELVES TO EXTINCTION LONG BEFORE I ACTUALLY WENT MAD."_

"So…so you did all this? Voluntarily?" Takumi asked in hushed whispers.

Anankos swung his head around to look at Takumi, who yelped and jumped backwards at the sight of the mask staring at him. " _OF COURSE,"_ Anankos said. " _HOW COULD ANYONE BE DEPRAVED ENOUGH TO WILLINGLY COMMIT GENOCIDE AGAINST THEIR OWN PEOPLE?"_

"You're insane!" Xander shouted, dark waves of energy pulsing off of Siegfried in response to his emotions. "How could you even say that? You knew you were killing your people, stop being a coward and admit it!"

"And if you're truly a king," Ryoma added, "you shouldn't have forced your people to bend to your wills! That's not how a true king acts!"

" _DON'T YOU DARE LECTURE ME,"_ Anankos roared. Those two pricks of red light shone again in the mask's eyes as Anankos began to thrash. " _YOU ARE THE ONES RESPONSIBLE FOR MY IMPRISONMENT, THE ONES RESPONSIBLE FOR MY DESCENT INTO MADNESS. IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU MEDDLING CHILDREN, PERHAPS I WOULD'VE NEVER GONE MAD, DID YOU THINK OF THAT? OH, BUT YOU DIDN'T, NOW DID YOU? ALWAYS SO SELF ABSORBED, YOUR RACE IS. YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR BENEFACTORS, ONLY IN YOUR OWN SELF INTERESTS."_

"They had no choice!" Corrin protested. "You killed Azura's father and destroyed their main source of resources and food! They had every reason to hate and exile you! And look where you are now! In the exact same scenario, every Valla feared would happen if they had just left you alone!"

" _EXCUSES,"_ Anankos retorted. " _THE ONLY REASON HUMANITY HAS LIVED AS LONG AS THEY HAVE IS BECAUSE I_ LET _THEM. IF I WANTED TO, I COULD'VE DESTROYED BOTH HOSHIDO AND NOHR THE MOMENT I ASCENDED TO THE THRONE, AND NOW THAT I HAVE, THAT'LL BE WHAT I'M GOING TO DO FIRST, AS SOON AS I GRIND YOUR BONES INTO DUST."_

Leo quickly took Corrin and Azura's arm. "There's literally no point trying to reason with him," he whispered in their ears. "Evidently, his sanity left him a long time ago, and the longer you guys stand here, trying to reason with him, the more of our men are dying trying to save our skins."

Azura nodded, and Corrin twirled Yato around in his hand. "Alright then," he said, turning to face Xander, Leo, Azura, Ryoma, and Takumi. "This is it, our final battle. Leo, you cast as many spells and see if you can slow down Anankos. Takumi, keep a sharp eye at the enemies around us. The instant you see them turn their attention on us, you plant an arrow in their head. We can't afford any distractions, no matter how small. Got it?"

"With pleasure," both princes said simultaneously.

"Ryoma, Xander." Corrin placed a hand on both men's shoulders. "I hate relegating you guys to the sidelines while I take all the so-called 'glory,' but I need you two up there with me. The two of you are going to be up there, supporting me. Attack Anankos to distract him, and while his attention is trained on you, I'll attack back."

The two men nodded, grim-faced and serious.

"What about me?" Azura asked. "Same as before?"

Corrin nodded. "Sing your song, try to support us as much as you can and rejuvenate us when you see that we're starting to get tired. If we're not, then help Ryoma and Xander deal with the enemies around us as I attack Anankos."

"Remember," Corrin reminded as he took her hand in his own. "the _instant_ you feel like you're about to collapse, you're to fall back to the rest of our army and see if you can find a healer. Preferably Sakura or Elise."

"Is that it?" Leo asked. "Is that your master plan?"

Corrin rubbed his chin, glancing out the corner of his eye to check that Anankos was still thrashing about. "Just one last thing," he said. "Leo, Ryoma, Takumi, Xander, I know you've probably seen this type of battle countless times before, so this is really more for Azura's sake than yours, but remember: we're on the defensive here. Our troops are trying to give us as much time as they can at the cost of their own lives, which means that for every soldier that falls, Anankos gets a boost to his forces. The fighting is going to be chaotic, brutal. Allies probably won't recognize you at first, at least until they swing a sword at you and realize that you're one of them, so be careful."

All five of them nodded. Behind them, Anankos slowly stopped thrashing and looked down at the group with something close to amusement.

" _HOW AMUSING…"_ he mused. " _LOOK AT THE LITTLE HUMANS, PRETENDING THEY COULD COMPETE WITH A GOD…ARE YOU PRAYING THAT SOME KIND, BENEVOLENT GOD WILL PROVIDE YOU ONE FINAL BLESSING BEFORE I CRUSH YOUR BONES AND GRIND THE SHARDS INTO DUST?_ "

"Not really!" Takumi shouted back. "If anything, you should be the one praying!"

"Also, I think you have an unhealthy obsession with crushing objects and grinding them into dust!" Leo added on snarkily.

The two red lights reappeared in the mask's empty eyes as Anankos threw his head back and roared, the pseudo-mouth opening and closing.

" _HOW DARE YOU INSULT AND THREATEN ME?"_ he raged. " _IT IS I WHO SHOULD BE THREATENING YOU, NOT YOU!"_

"Scatter!" Ryoma shouted as Anankos drew his head back to cast another fell orb towards them.

Corrin pushed Takumi away, covering his body with his own. Picking a piece of rubble out of his hair, Corrin drew Yato and charged towards Anankos, shouting a war-cry. As he charged, he realized somewhere in the back of his mind that a golden light was emanating from his right, but he didn't dare take his eyes off the dragon in front of him.

Uttering an even louder war-cry, Corrin leaped up. As he fell, he turned Yato around so that he was holding it in a reverse grip and plunged the tip into Anankos' forehead.

To both of their shock, this time, Yato cut through the mask's stone skin as easily as a scythe through paper. Yato sank up to its hilt, whereupon Corrin started to slide back down Anankos' face, much like before, only this time, he was actually successful in his attack.

About halfway down Anankos' face, the dragon roared in pain and thrashed his head around, flinging Corrin towards Azura. The songstress and half-dragon grunted in pain as they collided with each, knocking Azura off her feet.

"Sorry!" Corrin apologized. "You alright?"

"I'm fine," Azura said, brushing off some dust on her dress. "What about…"

Corrin glanced at her out the corner of his eyes as he noticed how her voice died. Azura despised poor manners, so stopping her sentence partway through was certainly unusual for her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Azura gestured feebly at Corrin's hand. She tried to compose herself but failed. "Yato," she breathed. "What did you do?"

"Yato?" Corrin frowned and looked down at his weapon, and to his amazement, instead of the Yato Corrin normally knew and wielded, in his hand was a different sword. Same golden color, and still radiating power, but this time, it radiated a different _kind_ of power. Something greater, more omniscient.

"The Fire Emblem?"

Unlike before, where Yato had a double-edged blade with a relatively wide crossguard and a knuckleguard to protect Corrin's hands, the sword Corrin now held in his hand was more ornate, with the knuckleguard removed and a widened crossguard. The tip of the sword had been replaced with a fiery design, which looked like it was very much real, while chainsaw-like teeth ran up and down the sides of the blade, replacing the edges with dozens of rotating razor blades. Unlike before, where Yato took on a golden and occasionally blue glow, the Yato Corrin now held was bathe in shades of red and golden.

Beside him, Xander, Takumi, Ryoma, and Leo all looked at him in awe, forgetting for a brief moment that they were still in battle. In front of them, however, Anankos continued to thrash and roar in pain, ignoring them.

"What…happened to Yato?" Takumi asked. "Did…it transform or something?"

"I…I don't know," Corrin replied. He held the sword in front of him, high above his head. "The Rainbow Sage said something about needing to combine Yato with the other divine weapons in order to awaken the Seal of Flames."

"Com…bine?" Xander said slowly, uncharacteristically unsure. "Like, sacrifice?"

"I don't think so," Ryoma said. "We still have our weapons, so I doubt they've been sacrificed in some way."

"It honestly looks like our weapons are feeding the Yato a constant stream of power," Leo mused. "Perhaps that has something to do with it?"

Sure enough, a faint but noticeable line of colored smoke trailed from each of the other divine weapons toward Yato, filling the four once-empty slots on the flat of the blade.

Corrin twirled the new Omega Yato around himself curiously. "Maybe," he said. "All The Rainbow Sage said was that the other divine weapons would react with Yato to create the ultimate dragon-killing weapon, but we've been practically living with each other for the past year. Why would it react now?"

"That's not important right now," Ryoma said sternly, turning back to the wave of enemies in front of them. "We're still in the middle of a battle right now."

"Seconded," Xander agreed. "Don't worry, little prince," he said soothingly upon seeing Corrin's eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Our power is yours, and now that Yato has been fully unlocked, not even Anankos can stand in your way."

"Yeah, c'mon!" Takumi said, lightly clapping Corrin in the shoulder as he nocked another arrow into Fujin Yumi and sending it into a Vallite's helmet on the other side of the throne room. "Now's not exactly the best time for us to fall apart, if you hadn't noticed."

Corrin looked back instinctively towards Azura, silently asking for her confirmation. In response, she simply half-shrugged, half-nodded.

 _The path is yours to climb_ , she said with her eyes

Corrin nodded back towards her and strode forward confidently towards Anankos. The dragon slowly settled back down as he noticed the lone, pale figure walking towards him.

" _FOOL…"_ Anankos chuckled. " _ACT BRAVE AND AS IF YOU ARE DESTINY'S CHOSEN CHILD ALL YOU WANT. IT WON'T CHANGE YOUR FATE. I AM IMMORTAL. I AM KING. I…AM…_ _ **ANANKOS**_."

Corrin remained silent, instead electing to break out into a full-on charge towards Anankos, with Ryoma and Xander beside him. Leo, Takumi, and Azura fell in behind them, taking advantage of the space Corrin, Ryoma, and Xander cleared in their charge.

In front of them, Anankos swung his head around, breathing a wave of fetid air as a group of Vallites slowly rose out of the blackened stones, their red eyes focusing on the three offenders charging towards them. Corrin gripped Yato tighter in preparation to fight his way through, but before he could do so much as raise Yato, the air next to him hissed, bright and hot, before all of the Vallites dropped simultaneously to the found, dissipating completely into water before their helms even hit the floor. All the while, Azura's voice floated eerily over the sounds of the battlefield, not necessarily replacing it, but being a constant and soothing presence nonetheless.

Anankos growled again, and swung his head side-to-side again, this time drawing out three enormous Faceless. Red lights gleamed in their helmet holes as they raised their shackled fists.

Again, before Corrin could react, a bright green, glowing arrow buried themselves in each of the Faceless' helmets, where the eyeholes were. Howling in pain, and now blinded by Takumi's pinprick accuracy, they fell like leaves before Corrin, Ryoma, and Xander.

As Corrin pulled Yato out of one of the fallen Faceless' gut, the air around him grew cold, and he felt death pulling at the tips of his fingers.

" _Move!"_ Leo shouted, before unleashing another spell in Anankos' direction.

Corrin jumped forward, flipping through the air, without hesitation. He landed on his hands and knees and spared a glance towards where he had just been standing. Barely a second later, the Faceless' body, along with the ground around it, froze, cracked, and shattered into infinitesimal shards. Corrin suppressed a shudder at the sight, knowing in the back of his mind that had it not been for Leo's warning, he too would've been killed.

Anankos growled in frustration as Xander spurred his charger from a canter into a full-on gallop, pressing himself low to the horse's neck as he readied Siegfried.

"Hiyah!" Xander shouted as he swung Siegfried upwards in a savage uppercut. Anankos howled, this time in what seemed like pain, as his head was thrown back by the force of the blow.

Next to Corrin, Ryoma knelt in place, before blurring and vanishing into thin air, only to reappear on Anankos' turned up face.

" _HOW DARE YOU?"_ Anankos asked, more in incredulity than actual anger at Ryoma's reckless attack. In response, Ryoma raised Raijinto as high as he could, and with both hands, plunged the divine weapon directly into the mask's right eye.

Corrin watched as the tip of the weapon struck the stone. For a second, it looked like the stone would hold, but then a rumble shook the castle, and then an _honest-to-gods_ bolt of lightning crackled out of the length of the weapons blade before the blade finally quivered, shook, and sank up to its hilt.

Anankos roared in agony and thrashed his head around. Ryoma just barely had time to pull Raijinto out of Anankos' face and jump off to land safely next to Takumi before Anankos smashed the spot where he had been standing into a nearby pillar, causing the entire throne room to shake. A piece of rubble fell out of the ceiling towards Takumi, who managed to roll out of the way just in the nick of time.

"Don't let him destroy the pillars, dumbass!" Takumi shouted as he dusted himself off, "We're still in here!"

Xander brought his charger back around in preparation for another charge, but before he could do so much as raise Siegfried, Anankos suddenly swung his head towards them, using his massive neck and heavy stone mask as a club.

As fast as the dragon swung towards Xander, Leo was faster still. A green rune, similar to the one they had used to transport everyone across the rope bridge outside appeared around Xander's feet. Without warning, Xander suddenly flew into the air, towards Leo. It was all he could do to keep his grip on Siegfried as he crashed into the ground next to Takumi.

Another, much larger, set of runes also appeared around the hooves of Xander's charger, and the beast rose a few feet into the air before Anankos completely smashed his head into where Xander had just been sitting, causing a fountain of blood and gore to smear everywhere

"No!" Xander shouted as he reached out towards where the horse had been standing.

Corrin ignored him as he quickly pushed away a Vallite berserker he was dueling as he ran past him and Takumi. As he ran, he willed his wings to unfurl out from his body. As he partially transformed, he felt a familiar energy curl itself around his legs. In the last few seconds before his draconic vision overtook his normal vision, he saw streams of water crawl up his legs, rejuvenating them and soothing his already-aching muscles.

Corrin silently thanked Azura for the boost in strength before he crouched, tensed his legs, and leapt upwards. As he jumped, his wings fully unfurled themselves and flapped furiously, providing him an extra bit of push. A pool of water suddenly appeared beneath his feet as he jumped, and as he pushed off the floor, the water thickened, almost as if it was alive, and gave him an even greater push.

As he flew through the air, all the fighting in the room came to a standstill as Corrin raised the Yato above his head for what looked to be his final attack. Anankos turned his head upwards at Corrin as he opened his pseudo-mouth. Inside was a single, bright orange eye rimmed with a burning sclera, which glared at him leeringly before another fell orb materialized in front of it.

Corrin quickly angled his wings so that he could dodge the death orb. The shot missed him by _less than a hairsbreadth._ Anankos roared in anger and pain as Corrin landed on top of him. His hands scrabbling for any sort of handhold, Corrin raised Yato and plunged it into Anankos' mask.

Anankos roared in pain and thrashed his head around, trying to dislodge him. Corrin held on for dear life as he stabbed Anankos again and again.

" _INSOLENT…HUMAN!"_ Anankos roared.

After what felt like an eternity of thrashing, Anankos managed to dislodge Corrin's grip by smashing his head through another couple of pillars. Corrin grimaced and released his hold on Anankos' face as slivers of stone flew all around him, several leaving red cuts in what skin was exposed. As Corrin flew through the air, Anankos opened his pseudo-mouth and breathed another fell orb towards him.

Corrin quickly transformed his free hand into a gaping dragon's jaw and shot a ball of electrically charged water towards the projectile. The ball of electrified water swallowed the fell orb as easily as a frog swallowed a fly, and continued onwards towards Anankos' cracked mask.

For a split second, the orange eye in the mask's pseudo-jaw widened in what looked like fear, before Corrin's shot collided with it. A flash of light, brighter than the sun, exploded outwards from the point of impact, and all was still.

* * *

Silas snapped his head to the side to avoid an incoming arrow. Scowling, he hefted his lance in his right hand and threw it across the room at the offending archer. The Vallite's undead eyes widened in what could've been surprise, if it wasn't for the knowledge that all of the enemies they were currently fighting were just puppets being resurrected by Anankos.

The archer managed to duck underneath the projectile, causing the lance to shatter uselessly against the wall. Silas scowled before drawing his cavalry sword. It wasn't necessarily that he _hated_ using a sword, but it just felt _wrong_ to use something with so little range. How Corrin managed to survive using what was basically a glorified broadsword, Silas would never know, but for now, that was the least of his concerns.

Silas raised his sword and shouted another war cry as he brought his weapon down on a Faceless charging towards him. The beast raised it arms over its head to protect itself. The sword cut through the sinew and muscle almost absurdly easily, and the monster crumpled backwards and dissipated into purple smoke.

Silas sighed and wiped his forehead clear of sweat as he looked towards the front of the throne room, where Corrin, Lady Azura, and their respective brothers from their sides of the family were busy fighting Anankos.

A huge plume of smoke billowed upwards as he faintly heard what sounded like Lord Xander screaming "No!"

To his right, a Vallite spearman suddenly clutched at his neck, where a trio of shurikens decided to plant themselves in his neck out of their own accord. As the Vallite vaporized into water, Kaze stepped over the weapon clattering to the floor.

"How's it going?" Silas asked, raising an arm in greeting.

Though Kaze's general expression remained unchanged, there was a noticeable tightening of his lips. "Poorly," he admitted. "Our men are being pushed back, and for every warrior that we lose, the Vallites gain another soldier."

Silas scowled and ran his heads through his hair as he looked around the battlefield. From his elevated position on his horse, he could see slightly more of the melee, but only slightly.

"Tell the men to strengthen our left flank," he ordered, pointing towards the aforementioned clump of soldiers. "If we lose the left flank, the enemy is liable to circle around us and trap us in their center, which isn't exactly the greatest thing."

"What about the right flank?" Kaze asked. "Surely, if our left flank is having trouble, then so is the right."

Silas glanced towards where Peri and Laslow were busy slicing their way through a lance of soldiers, with Laslow making the scene look more of an artfully staged play than a battle. Beside them, Benny and Effie roared as they put their shields together and charged forward into a blockade of spearmen, causing mass panic among the Vallites and giving the rest of Corrin's elite guard space to swing their weapons.

"I think we're going to be fine on the right," Silas admitted. "You have to say, Corrin's got a real knack for picking out the good ones."

"I…suppose," Kaze agreed slowly. "But surely, you can afford to send a _couple_ men over to assist the mages, right?"

"I already did," Silas said dismissively. "I ordered—"

A roar from where Corrin and Anankos were fighting interrupted him. Kaze blanched, which for one normally so composed and in control, spoke volumes. "That can't be—"

"Quiet!" Silas tightened his grip on his sword. Throughout the throne room, soldiers, both alive and undead, paused and looked towards the great dragon.

"Kill that bastard," Silas muttered. "Do it!"

For a few moments, they heard nothing else of note besides the sounds of individual skirmishes, and then a white blur flew out of the confines of the battle. Anankos raised his head to look up at the white blur descending towards him. Silas noticed somewhere in the back of his mind about how damaged the mask looked, with cracks spreading across the cheeks and forehead with an entire piece of the stone around the eye simply _gone._ Anankos opened his jaws to shoot a fell orb towards the blur.

Corrin twisted midair and managed to somehow avoid the attack before seemingly transforming his other hand into a dragon's jaw and shooting a ball of electrified water towards Anankos. Anankos opened his pseudo-jaw again and shot another fell orb towards Corrin, but Corrin's projectile seemed to swallow and overwhelm Anankos'

A split second before Corrin's shot collided with Anankos' face, a flash of light exploded outward in a wall of white and yellow so bright, Silas saw the bones within his own hand as he raised it to cover his eyes before a blast of sound struck him.

It felt as if spikes were being driven into his head. He screamed in pain, but he could not hear himself—nor, after the initial clap of thunder, could he hear anything else. He felt his horse's knees buckle, and a massive wind tore at his hair and clothes, despite them still being underground.

He felt Kaze tackle him out of his horse's saddle as the beast sank to the floor, its hair and skin burned away. As he felt himself fall, Silas caught a whiff of burnt hair.

 _I hope that's Kaze's._

The dust forced Silas to squeeze his eyes shut. All he could do was cling to Kaze and wait for the upheaval to be over. He tried to take a breath, but the wind snatched the air from his lips and nose before he could fill his lungs. He felt something striking his head, and his helm went flying off.

The shaking went on and on, but at last the ground grew still again, and Silas opened his eyes, afraid of what he would so.

The air was gray and dim; objects past a few dozen feet were lost in the haze. All of the Vallites had disappeared. Not even their remains or armor remained.

Small chunks of stone rained down all around him. A jagged piece of stone fell from the ceiling and shattered, sending a burst of straw-yellow shards everywhere. One of them struck Silas in the side and lodged in his mail. He quickly plucked it out and threw it away. Smoke trailed from the end of the gloves, and he smelled burnt leather. More pieces of stone fell elsewhere in the chamber.

Silas felt the smell of burning hair return again, and this time, he realized that it was indeed his own hair. Cursing, he quickly dropped his sword and patted the flames down.

The heat of the explosion had thankfully spared him most of his hair, though the warriors who had been standing in the open or closer to the source of the inferno now lay flat on the ground, some still moving, others clearly dead.

Silas glanced at Kaze, who was slowly picking himself off the ground. He had bitten through his bottom lip and blood coated his chin.

"Are you alright?" Silas asked.

It was only then that he realized that the words did nothings except to cause a vibration in his mouth and throat. Kaze frowned and shook his head, pointing to his ears.

"Can't hear," he mouthed.

Could Corrin, Lord Ryoma, Lord Xander, Prince Takumi, Prince Leo, and Lady Azura survived the explosion. Could anyone who had been close to the heart of such an inferno?

A spate of dizziness and nausea caused Silas to lean over and prop himself against Kaze, who in turn leaned on him. As he waited for his balance to return, he thought of the throne room and the castle resting on top, and it suddenly occurred that they might all be in danger.

 _We have to get out before it falls,_ he thought. He coughed up and spat out a globule of blood and dirt on the cobblestones. Then he looked in the direction of where he had last seen Anankos and Corrin. The dust still hid it, but grief threatened to envelope his heart in its endless waves of sadness.

* * *

Darkness. And in that darkness, silence.

Corrin felt himself fall to the ground, a sharp jolt of pain erupting through his left wrist, then…nothing. He could breathe, but the air was stale and lifeless, and when he moved, he could feel his raw skin scraping against the dirt floor.

Seconds more passed.

Without warning, light flooded Corrin's eyes, and an onslaught of noise assailed his ears. Corrin shouted in pain and he winced, clapping his hands over his eyes and blinked while his eyes adjusted.

Through the smoke and haze, he could barely see Anankos' head laying in front of him. As the dust cleared, more of the mask's features became visible. The mask's right eye had completely crumbled away, revealing a single, closed eye. The stone around the mask's lips, where the stone cracked to reveal the pseudo-jaw, had been completely blown away, revealing a dark and shadowed hole where the eye had been.

The mask pulsed and glowed like flesh as wafts of air breathed over it. The air smelled like the taste of iron, and to Azura, the familiar scent of dragon's scales.

The walls of the room were cracked, and the pillars, torches, and lanterns had been pulverized. At the back of the chamber, the beautiful golden doors that had guarded the entrance to the throne room had been blown off their hinges, and Azura thought she glimpsed what looked like daylight at the far end of the hallway that led to the outside.

As she got to her feet, she noticed Ryoma, Leo, Takumi, Xander, and Corrin doing the same. Leo and Takumi's jaws dropped as they stared at the sight of Anankos laying unmoving in front of them. Ryoma and Xander, on the other hand, proceeded to immediately check the nearby soldiers for signs of life.

Xander pounded his fist angrily into the floor as his knees became soaked with the blood of his charger. Ryoma sighed and shook his head when the soldier he was checking on remained motionless. He respectfully closed the man's burned eyes and placed his hands carefully over his chest.

Corrin on the other hand, simply got to his feet and stared at the great dragon in front of him. Picking up her naginata, Azura slowly made her way towards him, ignoring the sticky feeling on the sides of her head.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

When Corrin did not respond, she repeated the question and placed a hand on his shoulder. It was only then that Azura felt a sticky liquid dripping from her ear, and she reached up to touch the wound. With a yelp of pain, she shot her hand pack as jolts of pain wracked through her head.

Corrin's face twisted into a look of concern as he grasped her by the shoulders and looked at her, his eyes running up and down her body, looking for anymore wounds. His lips moved, but no sound came out.

It was only when the pain faded from Azura's head that she noticed that despite her outcry, everything remained silent. She gingerly tapped the sides of her head again.

"Can't hear," she mouthed. "Need healer."

Corrin nodded and pointed towards where Leo and Takumi were being healed by Elise and Sakura. The two girls also had blood sticking to the sides of their heads, but unlike the others, they seemed perfectly capable of hearing. With Corrin leaning on Azura, due to a particularly deep scratch on his leg, the two made their way over to where Sakura and Elise were working.

Upon setting Corrin down near, Sakura quickly ran a critical eye over Azura before casting a healing spell. After a few seconds, Azura felt an almost unbearable itch deep within her ears as Sakura repaired whatever damage Anankos had caused with that final explosion.

When it was over, Sakura swayed unsteadily on her feet, and for a split second, Azura rose from her seat to catch her in case she fell, but Sakura managed to compose herself.

"I'm fine," she said, smiling, though it was apparent that she was most definitely _not_ fine based on the weathered lines already appearing on her young face. "I…just need a minute to rest."

Azura pursed her lips. "Well, make sure you don't push yourself too hard," she said.

Sakura gave her a small smile. "D-don't worry," she said reassuringly. "We know what needs to be done.

Forcing her rebellious limbs to move, she rose up and walked over to Corrin, who was again standing in front of Anankos, who has yet to move a single inch since that great explosion. Her hands unconsciously wrapped themselves around her pendant, turning it over and over again as she joined Corrin in his uncomfortable silence.

"Is…do you think he's actually dead?" Azura asked.

Corrin shrugged, lines of weariness appearing for once on his young face. "I don't know," he said. "On one hand, if _we_ survived, why couldn't Anankos? But on the other hand…"

"It'll be better if you actually check to make sure if he's dead or not," Robin's voice said. "I've made that same mistake before, where I thought I had finished off an opponent, only for them to come back and stab me in the back."

Corrin and Azura turned to see Robin walking towards them, carrying a bundle of blue cloth in his arms, with the strange sword Laslow, Selena, and Odin had found strapped to his waist. It was only until Robin stepped closer to them that Corrin realized that the bundle of cloth was actually a woman.

The woman was horribly emaciated, her cheeks sallow. Her torn clothes barely covered her pale, emaciated body, and for a second, he thought she was truly dead, until he noticed the barely noticeable rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Her bones and ribs stood out in sharp relief underneath her translucent skin.

Her blue veins were also very prominent. Sores, belonging to manacles, a sight and feeling Corrin was well used to, had formed along her wrists and ankles. Ulcers oozed a mixture of clear fluid and blood, and parts of the woman's long, dark blue hair had turned either gray or white and hung loosely in lank, greasy ropes over her pock-marked face.

But despite the gruesome sight, there was no mistaking that the woman had once been a great beauty at some point in her life. That much was obvious by the strong and somewhat jutting features plastered on her thin and sallow face. Even on Death's doorstep, Corrin could tell that the woman was a fighter.

"I found her in the dungeons," Robin explained, upon noticing Corrin and Azura's newfound interest in the woman cradled in his arms. "By my reckoning, she's been down there for…quite some time.

"But…that shouldn't be possible," Azura said slowly, frowning. "When Anankos attacked, those who were imprisoned were one of the first to be turned into his puppets."

"Not her," Robin said simply, brushing a lock of the woman's hair out of her face. "She's…like me. Different. From another world."

"Who is she?" Corrin asked, leaning in closer to peer at the woman. Her eyes suddenly parted, revealing some sort of brand in her left eye. The brand was just a shade lighter compared to the blue of her irises, and Corrin rose an eyebrow at the sight.

Corrin opened his mouth to ask about the brand, but Robin interrupted him by shifting the woman up a foot so that he could reach into his pocket to pull out some sort of crystal. "That's not important," he said dismissively. "All you need to know is that she's very important."

"To who?" Azura asked.

"To both me and a number of other people too," Robin replied. "Namely her father, her mother…a lot of people."

"Where is she from?"

Robin blew a tuft of hair out his eyes impatiently. "I just said it," he said somewhat annoyed. "From the same world I came from. Pay attention."

"What's that crystal for?" Azura asked, pointing at aforementioned object.

"Hm? This?" Robin asked, giving them a clearer view of the crystal. "Oh, this is just a crystal, given to me by one of my closest confidants."

"What does it do?" Corrin asked, leaning in closer to Robin to get a better look at the crystal.

"Hey, back up there," Robin warned. "I don't want you near me when this thing takes me back to my world."

"'Back to your world?'" Corrin asked.

Robin nodded. "I think it's pretty much common knowledge between everyone in this army that I'm not from Hoshido, Nohr, or even Valla. I came here of my own volition, both to find her," he looked down at the woman, "and because three of my past allies requested my assistance in finishing off another war."

"You say that like you've done it before," Corrin said, echoing one of their past conversations.

"So you're leaving," Azura said, somewhat bluntly. "When we're in the middle of our final battle."

Robin shrugged apologetically, or at least as much as he could with a woman in his arms. "Unfortunately," he said. "As impressive as your step-sisters are when it comes to the quintessential basics of healing, they'll be practically useless when it comes to dealing with my friend here."

"Careful there," Corrin warned. "Elise and Sakura are some of the best healers I know. You've—"

"I wasn't referring their level of skill," Robin said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm just saying, healing what looks like several months of starvation and torture on a battlefield doesn't seem the most…comfortable for both healer and patient, now does it?"

Corrin sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "I-I guess not…"

"And besides," Robin said nonchalantly, "You have your healers, and I have my own. Only unlike yours, mine aren't teenagers. Mine are…slightly older teenagers. In their mid-twenties, by this point, I think."

"'You think?'"

"Hey, I've been searching for her the past five years," Robin said defensively, looking down at the woman again. "So what if I haven't seen my family since?"

Corrin's eyebrows nearly jumped off his face, while Azura looked between the two men, a faint expression of bemusement plastered on her face. "You have a _family?"_

"No, no," Robin chuckled. "I'm saying that my family are more metaphorical than literal. You know when you get to know someone so well you might as well consider yourself brothers?"

Corrin glanced at where Ryoma and Xander were being patched up by Sakura and Elise. "I guess so…"

"Well, that's basically the bond I share between me and my friend," Robin said. "We've been through…basically everything at this point. Wars, fights, arguments, marriages…you name it, we've done it."

"W-wait, you're married to a _man_?"

"And you're leaving right now?" Azura asked at the same time.

"First off," Robin said, glaring at Corrin, "I'm _not_ married to a man. I'm very much attracted towards women. It's…just that I'm not married at all. I just happen to have a daughter. From the future."

"What?"

"Don't ask. Secondly, yes, I am leaving. Right _now_. Part of the reason why I accepted Ini—Laslow, Selena, and Odin's invitation to help your force at all was because I wanted to see if I could find her," he said, gesturing towards the woman.

"What's the other part?"

"I can't say," Robin said. "I'm sorry, but Laslow, Selena, and Odin made me promise I wouldn't tell you anything regarding where I came from, my past, or my knowledge of this world. The only thing I can tell you is that I was a trustworthy individual capable of leading your forces to survival, which I did, and that I won't kill you, which I didn't do."

"You know, if you desert now, any and all soldiers of Hoshi and Nohr will have the authority to hunt you down and kill you on sight, right?" Corrin asked.

If Robin picked up on the threat, he did not show it. Instead, he smirked. "Yes, well, I think it's pretty obvious to both of us at this point that since I'm not of this world, your laws and rules don't apply to me, no? Secondly, both of you know how hard it can be to track down someone who's…let says, _in a different dimension than your hunters_ , right?"

"So you'll just going to leave us, right before we claim victory?" Azura asked again.

" _Never_ assume you've won just because the enemy hasn't shown any signs of movement," Robin said sternly. "And yes, I'm going to leave. _Right_ _now_. This crystal is the only thing that'll allow me to travel back to my own world without needing to kill another dragon, and besides the obvious reasons of why I can't, namely because I've done it before and it nearly killed me, but also because this mountain is yours to climb. The longer I stay here, and the bigger of an impact I make, the sooner this crystal is going to break. Judging on how cracked this crystal is, I reckon I only have less than half and hour before I'm trapped here permanently."

"What do you mean, 'impact?'" Corrin asked.

"Oh, I don't know, saving your entire army from oblivion, where the normal course of action would've been your army being completely and systematically wiped out?" Robin said impatiently. "Look, I have less than ten minutes to say my farewells to you, explain why I need to leave, and cast the necessary spells to transport me back to my world, so I would _really_ appreciate it if you would stop asking questions."

Azura placed a hand on Corrin's arm. "Well, what you say is true, then we both thank you for your service. We promise that your name will go down in history for being one of the most pivotal figures in recent history."

"You have my gratitude as well," Corrin said half-heartedly, "Thought I hate letting one of my allies go for no good reason."

"Eh, I wouldn't worry about it too much," Robin said as he stepped back. "It's like this one story I heard before. A hero gets summoned from their home to help a city overcome a grave threat, but he realizes that there's only so much he could do before he dies, so he tries to do as much as he can before he, you know, dies."

"I…don't think that's a real story," Corrin said, confused.

Robin shrugged again and clenched the crystal tighter in his hand. Cracks were now starting to break out across the surface of the gem, and a yellow rune started to appear beneath Robin's feet. "Different world, remember?" he said. "And besides, that's not the point of the metaphor. One day, history will look at you two as being star-crossed lovers, when in reality, both of you were just cousins looking for someone they could both relate to. Not saying that's a bad thing, but it's up to you whether you want your story to be what I just called it, a story, or not."

Both Corrin and Azura looked away from each other, embarrassed. Azura hid her face in the endless swathes of her hair, but Corrin managed to suppress the flush overtaking his face as he looked up at Robin, who was now floating into the air.

"Take care!" he called, raising an arm. "Make sure you give your 'family' my regards!"

"I will, once they stop throttling me around for being gone for so long!" Robin replied. "Farewell! Good luck!"

Around them, soldiers from both Hoshido and Nohr looked on as Robin rose even higher into the air. Whispers of confusion and amazement quickly rose throughout the men as Robin looked at them, feeling somewhat detached.

 _Just another future saved._

In his arms, the woman stirred slightly again, and this time, her eyes opened all the way. "Robin?" she whispered, her voice barely more than a strained rasp. "What's going on?"

"Don't worry about it," he said gently, placing a finger over her lip. "You're safe now. I'm going to take you home."

Lucina stared at him for a moment more, before closing her eyes and nestling her head in the crook of his arm. "I'm…so glad," she said, before drifting off into a deep, natural sleep.

Everyone watched at the rune grew brighter and brighter. Corrin and Azura were forced to avert their gaze as the light grew to an unbearable intensity, and with a rather anti-climactic _shing_ sound, both Robin and the woman vanished.

Rubbing his eyes, Corrin and Azura looked at where Robin and the woman had been floating just a moment ago.

"That's…rather unfortunate," Azura noted, somewhat dryly.

"Yep."

"…"

"…"

"Should…should we head back to the front of the army?"

"I think that's a good idea."

* * *

The two of them walked together where Ryoma, Xander, the rest of their siblings, and the remainder of their army were standing, their weapons trained untrustingly towards Anankos. As Corrin pushed his way to the front of the army, he noticed the healed wounds and scars on many of the men, and he made a note in the back of his head to personally thank the healers later.

"Where's that tactician?" Leo asked. "And what was that light?"

"That light _was_ the tactician, and he decided now would be a good time for him to leave," Corrin explained.

"And you just _let_ him?" Takumi said angrily. "He was the only thing keeping our men alive, and you just _let_ him go?"

"Peace, Takumi," Azura chided. "We'll explain his reasons later, after we determine whether or not Anankos is truly vanquished. Keep your retorts in check—for now."

Grumbling, Takumi turned away, nocking another arrow in Fujin Yumi and pointing it towards Anankos.

Seeing the divine weapon reminded Corrin to look down at his waist where Yato always hung. As it had done before, when the Rainbow Sage had transformed the Yato for the first time, the scabbard had changed too.

Before, it had just been a simple sheath, adorned with a light blue trim to match the weapon's own trim, but now, it was vastly different. The material in the center had been removed, so that the length of Yato's blade and the four slots were visible, even when sheathed. A patch of warm leather covered the edges of the blade, where the miniature saws were located. Despite the material feeling as soft and warm as any leather, they've yet to break under the stress of Yato's newfound edge.

Corrin looked up, and upon noticing that Azura had gone to stand at the front next to Leo and Ryoma, made his way towards them.

"So what do you think?" Ryoma asked, peering intensely at the dragon.

"It's hard to tell," Leo admitted. "We have so little information on the biography of dragons that it may be impossible for us to tell if he's dead without us getting up close and personal with him."

"Which is something _nobody_ in their right state of mind will do," Takumi added.

"Let's stay focused," Azura chided. "We still don't know if Anankos is truly dead or not. There's a phrase in ancient Hoshido than more or less directly translates to 'defeat being most bitter when victory has just been won.'"

"Well, it's impossible to achieve victory without admitting defeat every once in a while," Xander mused, rubbing his chin.

"That's…where you and I differ, Xander," Corrin said as he walked forward towards the silent dragon.

For a moment, everyone looked at Corrin in confusion until they realized what he was about to do.

"Are you _crazy?"_ Leo asked. "What if he's still alive?

"'If,'" Corrin said simply. "There's no way to tell if he's actually dead without us physically checking for life, and in all honesty, I'm probably the best person for the job anyways. I have the only weapon in the world capable of hurting him in my hands. I think I'll be safe."

"I forbid it," Ryoma said sternly. "I see that you are still young, and so you think leading my example is the best and only way to get things done, but sometimes, you have to be comfortable letting others risk their lives for you."

"You told me this and a hundred more idioms before, Ryoma," Corrin said, somewhat exasperated. "Trust me on this. Even if Anankos is still alive, he's bound to be gravely wounded and in no shape to fight."

" _VERMIN…"_

Everyone blanched and looked around, their weapons swinging wildly as they looked for the source of the voice. Unlike before, where Anankos' voice had emanated from the general vicinity of his mask, this time, he sounded like he was all around them. Ryoma, Leo, Xander, Takumi, and Corrin all looked around for a split second before all simultaneously and automatically drawing their respective weapons.

Lightning crackled dangerously down the length of Raijinto as Siegfried pulsed even more malevolently. Takumi nocked three arrows at once in Fujin Yumi and aimed towards the fallen mask, another three arrows materializing in his clenched fist. Orbs of magic curled themselves around Leo's fist as he glared around, as if the very room had become their enemy, which in a way, was somewhat true.

Meanwhile, Azura spun her naginata around herself before setting it in a battle-ready stance in front of her, the butt of the shaft sticking out into air with the tip of weapon angled slightly downwards towards the ground. As for Corrin, he tore Yato out of his sheath. Almost immediately, the chainsaw-like teeth of the blade started to churn up again, and an even bright than usual golden glow began emanating from the weapon.

And so they stood there, their weapons drawn and ready to strike, even as the chamber shook around them.

"Told you," Takumi muttered to Corrin.

"Quiet," Ryoma ordered.

Azura's eyes darted back and forth before an orange light caught her eye. Her heart felt like it had been petrified and covered in lead as the great masked moved, looking down at them. Where the mask's right eye had been, now a large orange eyeball stared back at her, contempt and anger tangible in the orange sclera.

" _YOU…LOWLY…WEAK…PITIFUL HUMANS,"_ Anankos growled. " _YOU CAN'T—YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS."_

"Well, we did," Corrin said, walking up to Anankos and pointing Yato towards him. A veritable orange spotlight shone itself on him as the eye focused its full, burning, unwavering attention of Corrin, the pupils dilating as he slowly came into focus. If Corrin was cowed by such an unnatural sight, he did not show it. Rather, he kept his voice firm and even.

"You've lost, Anankos. Give up. Surrender peacefully, and I promise you'll die quickly and painlessly," Corrin said.

" _CURSE…YOU,"_ Anankos said weakly. " _I…I NEED MORE POWER. MORE DRAGON'S BLOOD._ _ **MORE! GARON!"**_

Xander and Leo let their weapons lower themselves to the floor as they stared at Anankos' thrashing form with bewilderment.

"Father?" Leo repeated.

"But that's impossible!" Xander said. "Father should still be back in No—"

A swarm of bats suddenly burst out of the floor tiles underneath him, knocking him off his feet. Corrin eyes widened, and he raised his arms protectively around his head as the bats swarmed around him. With a mini-explosion that showered Corrin and the others behind him in the pedals of black Nohrian Thornroses and their heavy scent, King Garon of Nohr stepped out of the maelstrom.

He looked much like he had the last Corrin had seen him, his skin sagging and an unnatural shade of gray. His face was as long and lean as ever, with a deep brow and a long white beard cascading over his black-as-night breastplate. His eyes were as hard as stones and save for a flare of purple around the iris, there was little white.

His mouth was thin and wide, which the ends of his lips tugged downwards, most likely due to his face always fixed in some sort of frown or scowl.

Despite that, however, Corrin could sense there was something…off about the man standing in front of him. The lines on his brow and either side of his nose were deeper than before, and his sagging skin had a thin look to it. As he turned around, he saw how his eyes burned with that same purple flame that his mother, father, and Arete had in their eyes.

"Ah…it's good to see you again, _my children_ ," Garon said, stepping towards Xander, Leo, Camilla, and Elise.

Elise, frightened by Garon's demonic appearance, quickly hid behind Camilla, whose axe trembled ever so slightly in her hands. Leo took an unconscious step backwards while Xander continued to stare at his father with the same intensity his father back at him.

Garon took another step towards them and was about to reach out with a gauntleted hand towards them when Corrin stepped in front of him and pointed Yato towards him, the tip of the blade scarcely an inch away from his long white beard. Disgust and anger flared up in Garon's eyes as the faint scent of burning hair wafted over them.

"Why are you here?" Corrin demanded. "Tell us. Now!"

When Garon did not immediately respond, Corrin thrust Yato forward, towards Garon's heart. Garon grinned menacingly at him as he wrapped his hand around Yato. Ignoring the splashes of blood staining his face and armor from closing his hand around Yato's chainsaw-like teeth, Garon yanked Yato towards himself, with a half-dragon attached to the hilt.

Years of training, fighting, and instinct prevented Corrin from letting go of his weapon, so when Garon's other fist smashed into his face, he went sprawling, devoid of both consciousness and weapon. His head slammed into the ground, leaving behind a small patch of blood, and he collapsed limply to the floor, uttering a surprisingly child-like moan of pain as he did so.

"Corrin!" Azura cried, rushing towards him.

"What have you done?" Xander demanded as he rushed towards Garon, Siegfried in his hand.

Garon grinned a demonic smile as he waved his hand in a backhanded sweeping motion, sending the two of them sprawling backwards. Xander grunted as he landed on his feet, but Azura cried out in pain as she slammed into Ryoma, who dropped Raijinto as he caught her.

Garon looked at Yato cutting itself into his hand with an air of disinterest. Despite the splashes of blood dripping on the floor, he simply grabbed Yato's hilt and plucked it, chainsaw-teeth and all, out of his hand and tossed into the corner, where Corrin continued to lay motionless.

As he slowly eased Azura back onto her feet, Ryoma picked Raijinto back up from where he had dropped it. "What are you doing?" he demanded. "How could you even think to strike your own children that way?"

"Quiet, Hoshidan," Garon hissed. "Your kind does not deserve to speak in the presence of our lord and savior."

"'Lord and savior?'" Leo repeated. "What are you _talking_ about, Father? This isn't like you…"

Garon shook his head and turned away. As he did so, Azura could've sworn a look of sadness, however fleeting, crossed his face.

"So in the end, what they say is true," he murmured. "The ones who hurt you the most are the ones closest to you…"

Xander struggled to his feet and levelled Siegfried towards Garon again. "What are you talking about?" he asked again. "Why are you here? Who is this 'lord and savior?' Why did you attack us?"

In the back, Anankos stopped thrashing and extended his neck towards Xander, so that that horrible mask and its orange eyes were less than a meter from them. " _IS IT NOT SO OBVIOUS?"_ he asked dangerously. " _YOUR FATHER HAS SWORN COMPLETE AND UTTER ALLEGIENCE TO_ _ **ME**_ **."**

"That can't be…" Camilla whispered, horrified. "You've been serving this…this thing the whole time?"

"Is it not obvious, girl?" Garon growled. "You've merely been pawns for Lord Anankos and I!" He looked over the faces of those opposing him. Some were anxious, some were afraid. But most were angry.

"Everything you've worked towards, everything that you've done. We've foreseen it happen! Everything you fools have done so far has just been yet another step towards our ultimate goal!" Garon gloated.

"And what would that be?" Leo asked frostily.

Garon sneered, and that brought Azura's attention to his face, or rather, his lack of one. Everyone hastily scrambled backwards as some sort of gray slime started oozing out from underneath Garon's pools. Curiously, the pool of ooze spread itself around Corrin's limp body so that it created a rough circle of untouched floor.

Soon, what skin was visible from underneath Garon's armor disappeared, leaving only the metal, and even that was slowly assimilated into his body, which now consisted mostly of that same slime that was spreading across the throne.

Eventually, the man that had once stood before them was now replaced by an undulating, shapeless, dripping mass with demonic-purple lights where the eyes had once been. All that remained of Garon that seemed even somewhat human was the skeletal face staring ghastly back at Azura as it oozed towards them, driblets of that same slimy substance dripping to the floor.

An axe that looked like it used to be Bolvek, Garon's personal weapon, slid out of the heavy woolen cloak and into its hand. As the… _thing_ slid towards them, Azura shot a concerned look towards Corrin, who remained motionless.

"WhY, tO cOnVeRt AlL tO kInG aNaNoKos' WiLl, oF cOuRsE," the creature mumbled. "As sOoN CoRrIn'S cOrPsE iS uNdErNeAtH oUr CoNtRoL, wE wIlL dEsTrOy YuO aNd aLl wHo sHalL oPpOsE uS, sTaRtInG wItH yOuR lOt. ThOsE iN tHiS cHaMbEr WiLl bE tHe FiRsT tO SeE tHe PeRfEcT wOrLd wE hAve pLanNeD fOr HuMaNiTy."

" _ **WE?"**_ Anankos thundered.

"He's planning to commit a mass genocide against humanity!" Leo said in a hushed whisper, shocked. "He's going to use our bodies as the vanguard for his invasion on Nohr and Hoshido!"

"Are you sure?" Ryoma asked.

"Ah—of course I'm sure!" Leo snapped back, though his tone may be brought on by stress and fear than actual cruelty. "This dragon _possesses_ dead bodies and uses them as soldiers, cannon fodder, slaves, you name it, he probably uses them for that! What else could he have planned for humanity if not completely wiping out and possessing every last man, woman, and child?"

"We can't let him then," Azura said. "I won't let what happened to my people to happen to the rest of the world!"

"But first, we need to get Corrin back!" Silas said, pushing his way to the front of the army.

The creature's eyes turned a violent shade of dark pink as it extended one of its arms, driving into Silas' gut. The paladin's eyes immediately widened and he doubled over, winded, before the creature swung its club-like fist upwards, clocking him on the jaw and knocking him back.

"I dOn't tHiNk So, tRaItoR," Garon rasped. "CoRrIn bElOnGs tO mE nOw, FoOliSh ChIlD."

Meanwhile, the slime slowly collected under Corrin's body before he started to slide across the floor towards Anankos. Thousands of minute appendages, _feelers_ , retracted into the slime the second Corrin was no longer resting on top of them, and slowly, ever so slowly, Garon delivered Corrin into Anankos' gaping jaw. Anankos' jaw hung loosely as he panted, partly due to the damage the fighting had ensued upon him, but also due to not being to wait any longer.

Soon, he would be able to escape this world. Soon, he'll be able to extract his revenge on humanity.

* * *

" _Back so soon?"_

Corrin's eyes snapped upon as he took in his surroundings. To his right, he could hear the now-familiar sound of the fire crackling. Sitting up, he groaned and clutched his head as a splitting pain shot through his head.

It felt as if someone was driving spikes into the back of his head, yet when his hands came away, they came away bloodless.

A rustling sound caused his eyes to snap upwards, towards the hooded man gently stirring the fire with the fire poker. Was it just him, or did he look a lot thinner than before?

" _You know,"_ the man said, " _it's generally good manners to answer someone's question. Especially when you're lying on the remains of their dinner."_

Corrin's eyes widened as he felt a warm liquid seeping in his legs, and he hastily got up, brushing off the flecks of meat and vegetable.

" _S-sorry,"_ he apologized. " _I-I didn't mean to come here. I just…sort of woke up here. Again."_

" _Again,_ " the man repeated. " _Do you know how unlikely it is for something to happen twice? For something to happen in the exact same place or circumstances. Now if we add time into the mix, then that non-zero chance becomes truly zero, but let's ignore that for a second. Let's say, for instance, that you were born in a village in Hoshido, and every year, on your birth date, you go to the same village, the same house, same room, same bed you were born in, and you laid on the exact same sheets at the exact same time your mother gave birth to you on. Would you be in the exact same place as you were when you were born?"_

" _Of course!"_ Corrin replied. " _If nothing in the room was touched ever since that moment where I was born, then it would be the exact same place, I presume."_

" _Is it really though?"_ the hooded man asked. " _Is it really?"_

Corrin frowned, now unsure of his answer. " _Well, now that I think of it, no, not really."_

" _Why not?"_ the man offered. " _It's like you said. Assume everything has been unchanged or untouched since you were born in that room. Why wouldn't it be the same?"_

" _Well, if my studies are anything to go by, isn't our world round?"_ Corrin asked. " _And according to…to some Nohrian scientist—"_

" _Are you sure they were Nohrian?"_ the man interrupted.

"— _yes, I am,"_ Corrin replied. " _According to that scientist, our world is not flat, but is instead round, which would explain the horizon's behavior with venturing sea vessels. And since a previous study had deducted that the sun remained in the same position, our world must be the one that is spinning, and since we have seasons, the earth must be spinning around on an axis even as it orbits the sun."_

" _Eh, close enough,"_ the figure admitted. " _Go on."_

" _That means,"_ Corrin continued, " _the chances of the world being aligned in the exact same location as it was when I was born would be astronomically small. Even more so if, like you said, we take into consideration of everything that needs to happen, like being on the exact same day and time."_

The figure nodded in admiration. " _Not bad…not bad at all. Besides, of course, your explanations as to_ why _our world is spinning at a slight angle as it orbits, but close enough. Now, can you tell me why that example applies to your current scenario now?"_

Corrin frowned. " _I'm not sure. What do you mean?"_

The hooded figure leaned forward. The fire lit up more of his face and confirmed Corrin's suspicions. The hooded figure _did_ appear to be thinner, with his cheeks already looking sallow and hanging loosely as he spoke.

" _Come now, Corrin, what are the chances that you'll wake up in the same field, next to the same fire, next to the same man three times in a row?"_

" _Three?"_ Corrin asked. _"I know that I've met you before, and that you're probably considering this time as one of those times too, but what was the first time?"_

The man shook his head ruefully. " _Never mind. Just let me ask you: what are the chances that you find me every time your life is perilously close to being snuffed out?"_

" _Snuffed out?"_ Corrin asked. " _What do you…mean…"_

The gears in his head clicked as Corrin rounded on the man, who remained sitting cross-legged, his hands resting on his knees. " _Are you telling me that you're the one responsible for dragging me here every time?"_

" _Are you angry?"_

Corrin frowned and retracted the finger he was pointing at the man with. " _N-no, not really."_

" _Well, you should be."_

The man rose from his haunches and strode over to Corrin. He clasped Corrin on the shoulders and looked into his red eyes. His hands were surprisingly cold for someone who always sat next to a fire, yet they were…comforting in a way. Familiar

" _Corrin, I have spent over twenty-three years asking myself, 'Should I tell the wielder of Yato my greatest secret?' Every time, I tell myself 'No, they'll probably be a greater threat coming soon. Best to wait until then.'"_

The hooded man squeezed Corrin's shoulders. " _Now, however, is the time. Anankos is only moments away from achieving full power, and once that happens, not even Moros or the other dragons will be able to stop him, even if they do manage to pay enough attention to this world to care. If he does manage to regain his full strength, he'll unleash The End of All on both lands. The entirety of both Hoshido and Nohr will fall within hours of his victory here. The sea will turn black and corrupt, spelling instant death for those unfortunate enough to be out there when he attacks. Kingdoms across the sea—yes, there are other kingdoms besides Hoshido and Nohr. We're just part of a larger game—will be forced to fight or die, and most will die. Once he has conquered this world, then he'll undoubtedly expand his interests to other worlds, other dimensions. If that happens, then he'll be unstoppable._

" _One kingdom has already nearly experienced such a calamity, and for them to go through the same ordeal again will be cruel, to say the least. You have to stop Anankos, and in order to do that, you must be willing to hear the one piece of information that can shift the tides in your favor."_

" _I'm ready then,"_ Corrin said without hesitation. " _I can't let everyone else suffer because of me. Tell me. I'm ready."_

The man released Corrin and walked away, shaking his hands and shoulders as if he were preparing to give a performance in front of a crowd of thousands. " _The truth is then…I am Anankos."_

Corrin and the hooded figure stared at each in a moment of shocked silence.

" _I don't believe you,"_ Corrin said immediately. " _That's impossible. You're…you're not human, I can tell, but there's no way you can related to that…that—"_

" _That thing,"_ the figure finished. " _Well, if my word won't sway you, then maybe this will."_

The figure reached into the folds of his robes and pulled out a large, blue stone, easily the size of Corrin's entire head. How the entire stone managed to fit into the robe without producing some sort of bulge, Corrin didn't know, but his attention was diverted as the hooded figure rested his hand on top of it. Here and there, a few pockmarks were missing from the surface of the stone, but an ethereal power emanated from within. Simply being near the stone was enough to soothe the dragon inside Corrin to sleep, and he could feel himself staring unashamedly at the stone as it pulsed.

Corrin's eyes snapped upwards towards the hooded figure as he placed his hand on the stone. With a blinding flash of light, the man disappeared.

Corrin rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his vision as he looked around. " _What? Where did you—"_

Corrin felt his chest tighten as a massive shadow rose out under him, and the heavy booming footsteps of an impossibly large creature shook the earth around him. Looking up, his hand reached automatically for a weapon he knew would not be there as a massive dragon looked down at him.

" _This…is my final form,"_ the massive dragon said sadly. _"The form responsible for causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands. I am Anankos."_

Anankos' head swiveled down so that his eye level was somewhat close to Corrin's. Instead of a face, as Corrin's other form possessed, there was a curious orb clenched between massive, eyeless jaws. The material of the orb itself looked like it was made of some sort of otherworldly metal.

Spread around the surface of the orb were several eyes. Unlike the burning orange Corrin had seen in the castle throne room, these eyes were a much softer shade of orange, the orange of a sunset compared to the orange of an out-of-control wildfire.

There was also a bit of yellow in those sad eyes so that the eyes were nearly a golden color when looked at with the right angle, and Corrin instinctively felt a sense of longing within himself as Anankos brought his head back up.

" _Now do you believe me?"_ Anankos asked. " _I was the very enemy you wished to vanquish, and now, look at me. I'm nothing more than an old man, cursed to an eternity of solitude here in the Gray Planes until the world has been purified of my sins."_

"' _Gray Planes?'"_ Corrin asked, struggling to keep his voice from shaking and his knees from buckling. " _I thought you weren't supposed to tell me anything about yourself!"_

" _I know,"_ Anankos said, and slowly lowered his head and brought it back up again—a shrug. " _I only said that before as an excuse to not have to tell you the truth about myself."_

" _That's…somewhat suspicious,"_ Corrin said. All Anankos could do was close his eyes in sorrow.

" _So what are these 'Gray Planes?'"_ Corrin asked.

With another bright flash of light, the massive dragon vanished, and Anankos, back in his human formed, stepped out of the light, brushing imaginary lint off his shoulders. He stuck his hands glumly into his pockets as he sat back down beside the fire. " _A plane of existence,"_ he said simply.

Elaborating, he added, " _Even as the Astral Planes are part of the Astral Realms, and the Dragon Planes, which most humans and dragons now know as Valla, are part of Dragon Realms, which is your world as you know it, the Gray Planes are of the Gray Realms."_

" _And what are the Gray Realms?"_

" _Death."_ Anankos said simply. " _The unknown. The End that is all. All living things, even gods, will go to the Gray Realms one day. Once there, you can never leave. All beings, humans, animals, dragons, even the lowliest of insects are welcome—except those who have committed grave atrocities in the past."_

" _Like you?"_

Anankos nodded. " _Like me. The Judges have…well, judged me, and they've decided that in order for me to atone for my crimes against the other dragons during some long ago war, I am to stay in the Gray Planes until I've cleared the world of my sins. Only problem is, I_ am _the sin, but being immortal, it is impossible for me to, you know, die._

" _The First Ruler of what would become Valla took pity on me then, and somehow travelled to the Gray Planes to discuss my incarceration. And so that was the first time in even The Judges' living memories that someone, much less a human, had managed to travel to the Gray Realms, bargain with The Judges, convince them to change their judgement, and was able to leave afterwards. When The Judges released me from my incarceration here, the first thing I did as a free dragon was to bestow the mantle of kings upon that human, who would later become The First Ruler of Valla."_

" _And how do I know this isn't some sort of elaborate hoax meant to waste my time while my friends fight for their lives?"_ Corrin asked as he slowly backed away. _"You share the name, no—you_ are _the world's greatest threat. How do you expect me to believe you?_

Anankos shook his head and shrugged. " _I don't. Even if you hate me, and even if you don't trust what I say, at the very least, trust that I…never intended everything that happened afterwards to actually happen."_

Corrin gave a suspicious look towards Anankos as he sat back down next to the campfire. _"And…again…why should I believe you?"_

Anankos sighed. " _Because you should know that there are two of me in this world."_

Corrin's eyes widened almost comically as he jumped back to his feet. " _Two?"_ he repeated.

Anankos nodded. " _Yes. There's me, and then there's…that monster in the Dragon Realm."_

" _So you're telling me that I have to fight you twice?"_ Corrin asked.

Anankos quickly shook his head, his hands waving desperately. " _Oh no, no, that's not what I meant!"_ he said quickly. " _When I say that there's two of me, what I really meant to say was that there's only one Anankos, split into two different parts."_

" _That…doesn't really makes sense,"_ Corrin asked. " _What do you mean that there's one of you but split into two parts?"_

Anankos sighed, wringing his hands together as he stared into the depths of the fire. " _Long ago, during a fit of madness, I tore out a part of my soul and cast it down onto mankind. That part of the soul, the one I tore out, is the man you see standing before you."_

Corrin stared at Anankos. " _You're kidding."_

Anankos sadly shook his head. " _Unfortunately not."_

Suddenly animated, he leapt upwards and grabbed Corrin by the shoulders. " _You have to understand, Corrin, that part of the reason I tore my soul out was so that, in case the worst comes to pass, humanity would have one last glimmer of hope. That hope took place in the shape of one object, or rather, one object and a song. A very special song."_

Corrin's brow furrowed in confusion. " _What_?"

" _As you may or may not know, I am gifted with the ability to foresee events into a future, a skill I…passed on to your mother. During yet another one of my fits, I had a vision that I would one day go mad and unleash horrors on humanity, the likes of which even other dragons had never seen. To prevent or mitigate such a calamity from happening, I composed and created a song able to soothe my bloodlust, at least for a little bit. That song is the very same song that drains your friend of her precious life energy every time she sings those words. Every time those words come out of her lips, she trying to contain the wrath of a First Dragon! That's why she has to sacrifice so much for such a little reward."_

Corrin shook his head. " _I can't believe this,"_ he said, rubbing his eyes. " _So let me get this straight. You…fought in some war long ago, and these…Judges from another plane of existence incarcerated you here, in the Gray Planes. And then you said that a human managed to convince the judges to release you, and as a reward for his actions, you made him the king of Valla, but then you started to go mad. And during one of those fits of madness, you created a song designed to contain your wrath at full power, tore out part of your soul, cast it into the Gray Planes again, whereupon the rest of you proceeded to commit genocide on Valla."_

" _That's the gist of it,"_ Anankos said miserably.

Corrin bit his lip as he rubbed his chin. " _And so let's say that all of this is true and that I believe you on this. How does knowing that you're Anankos' torn out soul help us win against him?"_

Anankos looked up at Corrin, and this time, Corrin could see the red gleam of his eyes peeking out beneath Anankos' hood. " _Saying that the other part of me is soulless isn't necessarily true. Imagine if people were divided into two separate personalities, two separate parts. One part would be the loving, kind, compassionate part. That part would do the right thing, but would lack the willpower to actually carry through on it. On the other hand, the other part is selfish, reckless, willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want. This is the part that contains the willpower needed to do the right thing mentioned before. By combining those two parts together, you get…well, people. Life is just a fine game of balance between these two parts. If one was to be so unbalanced where one part swallows the other…"_

" _I…see…"_ Corrin said slowly. " _So you're saying that you're the kind, loving, compassionate part of Anankos and that the one I was fighting is the other part?"_

Anankos nodded. " _Precisely."_

" _But how does this knowledge help me with dealing with Anankos?"_ Corrin asked. " _Unless there's some sort of therapist or spell that can somehow revert his madness, the only way to put him down is through the use of force, but our numbers are simply too depleted to launch a full-on assault."_

" _You don't need to,"_ Anankos said. " _Remember that massive explosion that happened when you struck my counterpart with the Yato?"_

Corrin nodded. " _What about it?"_

" _I specifically asked the Rainbow Sage to forge Yato in such a way that the wielder will be nigh on impregnable to my counterpart's attacks and spells. No matter how strong the blow is, and how devastated the land around you becomes, you'll always be left with at least a sliver of strength large enough to continue fighting. All the while, you'll be able to deal massive damage to him, damage severe enough…to kill a god."_

Corrin whistled. " _That's…quite a spell."_

" _Indeed,"_ Anankos said, nodding. " _Even I was impressed with the quality of the Rainbow Sage's work. If only all weapons had such an intricate system of wards built into their being like that. But perhaps it'll be better not having such weapons. Humanity are…somewhat violent, and those who are able to wield weapons that render the wielders impregnable to all attacks would undoubtedly become the leaders of such a barbaric society."_

" _Maybe. Maybe not,"_ Corrin mused. " _It all depends on the cost, doesn't it?"_

" _Hmm…"_

Corrin frowned as a snippet of Anankos' past words came to the forefront of his mind. " _Wait. You said that I'll be basically immune to Anankos' attacks. Then how come his servants can hurt me?"_

Anankos raised a finger sharply. " _First off, there's no such thing as a complete immunity. Second, I never said that you'll be completely immune to his attacks. All I said was that he'll never be able to directly kill you outright. The spells bound around Yato's true form will prevent that from happening, but just because he can't kill you directly doesn't mean he can't hurt you. He can still tear your arm off, break your bones, cause irreparable mental harm to you, but so long as the wound doesn't_ kill _you, he can still hurt you."_

" _What about his servants?"_

Anankos tucked his chin against his chest, deep in thought. " _That…was the flaw both the Rainbow Sage and I encountered. To cast a spell to render one resistant to any sort of attack, you need to cast a spell that has a direct relationship with the attacker. For instance, if you had a lance that protected you from only one bear, only that bear will be unable to kill you, as the spell applies to that bear and that bear only. Other bears will still be able to hark and kill you. Using that example, you can see why my counterpart's servants can still harm you. To render the wielder of Yato resistant to any of my counterpart's servant's attacks…you're asking us to peer into nearly and endless number of possible futures. We'd have to cast a specific spell for everyone in the land, which is already daunting by itself. If you take into consideration those people's children, and then those children's children…it would be an impossible task. Not to mention, once someone passes onto the Gray Planes, any sort of spell that was bound to them dies when they die. That's why my counterpart's servants are able to harm and even kill you. So long as your friends keep his avatars off of you when you attack him, you should be able to pull off a victory."_

" _I see…"_ Corrin said. " _So that means that only Anankos is unable to outright kill me, but because he has an army of puppets to send after me, he can use any of them to kill me."_

Anankos nodded. " _Precisely."_

" _And so the best plan for us to take would be for my friends to create a circle around me so they can fend off the undead soldiers while I focus my full attention on Anankos?"_

" _That's it, basically."_

Corrin sighed and sat back down, suddenly feeling tired by the sheer immensity of his situation. " _All this planning ahead, thinking about the future, having everyone look up to you…I guess it's no surprise you went mad, huh?"_

" _There's a lot more to that then just stress, you know,"_ Anankos glowered.

" _Tell me."_

Anankos squatted down and put his head between his knees. " _I'm sure you know the story by now,"_ he mumbled, his voice muffled by the thick layers of cloth obscuring his face. _"My sanity started to slip away from me. I destroyed Brightwood Forest, the main source of materials for over eighty percent of the people. The people blamed me for it, which was to expected, and in a fit of rage, I murdered one of my only friends at the time, Theos."_

" _Theos?"_

" _King Theophilus,"_ Anankos explained. " _Azura's father. He was the Eighth King of Valla in title only, so most of the power went to Arete, your aunt. She was pronounced the Seventh Queen of Valla when she was the tender age of fourteen."_

" _Fourteen?"_ Corrin asked, bewildered. He couldn't fathom anyone becoming monarch and having to deal with a struggling nation. And at the age of fourteen, no doubt.

Anankos nodded sadly. " _You see, the Rheos and I have been connected for many generations, but it was only until Mikoto and Arete came into this world that I was truly welcomed as a part of the family."_

" _What do you mean, 'part of the family?'"_

Anankos shifted so that he was looking away from Corrin. Not that it did much, since Corrin could never see much of his face other than his chin and mouth, but Anankos gave off the impression of a child that had done something naughty, waiting fearfully in the corner for their parent's punishment.

" _Are you sure you want to know?"_ Anankos asked. " _You…you might not like what you hear."_

" _I'm sure,"_ Corrin affirmed, nodding. " _I've heard about Azura's song secretly killing her every time she sings it. I've heard about how there are other worlds, and how Robin is not of our world, and I've also heard…well, all of this. I think I can handle what you're about to tell me."_

" _Robin?"_ Anankos said, looking curiously up at him. " _That name sounds…vaguely familiar. How odd."_

" _He was some sort of tactician from some faraway land,"_ Corrin explained. " _He's the one responsible for getting most of Hoshido and Nohr's army here. We're all in his debt."_

" _Huh. Interesting."_ Anankos rubbed his chin thoughtfully. " _All dragons are connected, and I remember another dragon, one of the elder ones raging about how he was defeated by a human going by the very same name. Describe his appearance for me."_

" _Uh…"_ Corrin rubbed the back of his head. " _Well, I guess he was about your height? Sort of had snow-white colored hair. Always wore a coat. Talked in a…he always talked as if even though he was focused on you, you could tell he's thinking of something else. He sort of talked like you, so…his voice kind of got annoying if he started talking to you about something you hate?"_

" _What did he say to you?"_ Anankos pressed, ignoring Corrin's jab at himself. " _Did he give you any sort of advice?"_

" _Not much, I'm afraid,"_ Corrin said, shrugging. " _We didn't talk much with each other besides discussing the current state of the men, so we didn't pry too much into each other's past. He did say that he was once faced with a situation very similar to ours."_

" _Interesting…"_ Anankos said again. " _Maybe he is the same man that dragon mentioned after—"_

Before he could finish his statement, the ground shook all around them. Corrin stumbled and flailed his arms around him as he tried to keep his balance. Anankos got to his feet, keeping a hand pressed against the ground for balance as he looked around. The hoods shadows obscured his face, but it was obvious from the grim slash across his face that this was no regular occurrence.

" _What's going on?"_ Corrin asked.

" _He found us,"_ Anankos said seriously. He rose up to his full height as tendrils of shimmering water curled themselves around his forearms. " _On your feet,"_ he ordered. " _Prepare to run."_

As he said those words, a door, emanating with golden light, appeared in front of Corrin, out of thin air. Corrin squinted and covered his eyes with his arm as he looked back at Anankos.

" _Wait, who's found us?"_ Corrin asked. _"What's going on?"_

" _Me!"_ Anankos shouted. " _Er—the other me—just…never mind! Just get back to your friends!"_

" _What about you?"_ Corrin called back. _"There's no way—"_

" _Don't worry about me!"_ Anankos said. _"Just focus on feeling way back towards your friends, and you'll be with them again."_

" _But—"_

" _ **RUN**_!"Anankos shouted as a wave of darkness rolled across the grassy hills. Around them, the fog slowly turned purple and thick as Corrin began to choke. The fog seeped into his nose and mouth, clogging everything and making the world go black…

Beside them, the campfire continued to burn, flecks of ash flinging themselves into the air. Save for the glow provided by the door, the campfire was the only source of light in the soup of purple fog.

Anankos looked back to see Corrin collapse to his knees, coughing as the fog continued to force its way into his body. He looked back in front of him, where the dark fog slowly thickened and solidified in the form of a shadowy specter.

" _HERE YOU ARE…"_ Anankos' voice echoed, only this time, instead of the somewhat temperate tone of the hooded figure Corrin had sat next for so long, it was the raspy, growling sound of a dragon's. " _I KNEW I WOULD FIND YOU HERE…"_

Without hesitation, Anankos turned and ran towards Corrin. Corrin grunted as he felt Anankos' hand close around his torso, his hands now surprisingly warm and human-like for a dragon, and before he could even comprehend what had happened, Anankos heaved him out of the fog, into the doorway.

The instant the entirety of Corrin's body passed through the doorway, the fog seeped out of his body, hissing and wailing as it left him. Corrin rolled onto his knees and got to his feet as he half-walked, half-stumbled towards Anankos, who was now projecting some sort of barrier surrounding him and the door. His long robes flung wildly around him as he appeared to converse in some sort of conversation with the specter, who lowered its arms and tilted its head almost cockily.

As Corrin approached towards them, Anankos threw out his other hand to project the same kind of barrier in front of Corrin. Corrin grunted in pain as his face smacked into the barrier, causing his vision to flash red. Behind them, the specter retreated into the fog, the shadows completely covering it.

" _Sorry!"_ Anankos apologized. " _But I can't let you die here. If you do, the other version of me will be able to take over your body and use it as an avatar."_

" _Yeah, but you don't need to sacrifice yourself to do so!"_ Corrin objected, pounding his fist on the barrier. " _You can come with me!"_

Anankos chuckled dryly as cracks started to break out on the barrier holding back the darkness. " _We both know that wouldn't work. You have a physical body to return back to, but I do not. If I was to return to the Dragon Realm, I would die a true death almost instantly, and I have no wish to fulfil such a fate so soon. Not until I see this through to the end."_

" _But—"_

" _Another time, another time!"_ Anankos said, waving Corrin's objections away. " _Just leave me! I already told you why I can't come with you, so quit standing there and get back to Azura and your friends!"_

" _But—"_

" _No buts!"_ Anankos shouted as the specter pulsed, taking on the shape of a hulking Faceless. The brute smashed its fists into the barrier, causing flecks of the barrier to rain around Anankos, cutting his hands and cheeks.

Anankos grunted as he fought to keep the barrier up. " _Go!"_ he shouted. " _Don't worry about me! Remember, hope will never die! Just—"_

Whatever else Anankos had been about to say was lost as the barrier shattered completely, flooding the small space Anankos had been standing with the shadowy fog. The barrier in front of Corrin flickered briefly before completely breaking.

In the fog, he could just barely see the silhouette of the shadowy monster grappling with a vaguely human-shaped figure before the fog started to thicken once again, obscuring the two. For a split second, Corrin had hoped the door would be able to prevent the fog from seeping in by itself, but the instant the fog's tendrils curled itself around his leg, he charged forward and pushed the door closed, bracing his shoulder against it to prevent any more of the fog from seeping in.

Around him, the light grew brighter and brighter, eventually swallowing both him and the door in it.

On the other side of the door, two dragons, both the same yet different, fought. Roars of some large beast rang out across the endless planes as the campfire flickered, threatening to go out, but ultimately remaining lit.

A single tatter of cloth slowly drifted towards the fire. It vanished in a puff of smoke the instant it made contact with the lapping flames, and the fire continue to burn even stronger than before.

Now was the endgame.

* * *

Azura grunted as Silas's back slammed into her face. "Sorry!" he called back over his shoulder.

"Iths alright," she mumbled, brushing her hair out of her mouth and face. Almost immediately afterwards, Silas slammed into her again, knocking her down.

"Sorry!" he apologized again before digging his feet in and pushing forward with the shield he had managed to pick up from a recently killed Vallite shield bearer.

Azura peeked over the edges of the shield for a split second, almost receiving a third eye in the process as a flurry of spikes flew over her head. She ducked, and she heard one of the men behind her cry out in pain. A clatter of armor crashed to the floor, and she heard the scraping of the man's armor being dragged away by the healers.

In the split second she spent glancing over Silas' shoulder, Garon growled again and flung another volley of those spikes at the phalanx in front of him. Those spikes were made of the same slimy material spreading itself through the room, except they were hard as steel and just as sharp.

"We need to push forward!" Silas shouted, struggling to make headway against the storm of spines flying around the room and embedding themselves within his shield.

"We can't!" a Nohrian officer shouted back, panic evident in his voice as one of Garon's spines flew straight through his helmet plume, sending red feathers everywhere.

"We just need to get Corrin back!" Azura said, risking another peek at where Corrin lay prone, still unmoving. A pang resonated in her chest as she remembered the _crack_ of Corrin's skull against the stone floor when Garon had knocked him out. The slimy material Garon constantly exuded quickly spread itself around the room, but left a neat little circle around Corrin, presumably so that Anankos would have an easier time doing whatever he wanted to do with Corrin's body, though the dragon god was more preoccupied watching Garon suppressing the entire army through the use of his spines alone.

"Can't!" Takumi said next to her, unleashing a volley of arrows that destroyed half a dozen spines midair. "Not without looking like a porcupine!"

"GiVe YoUrSeLvEs uP tO Me," Garon rasped. "YoUr lEaDeR iS dEaD, aNd nO mAtTeR hOw HaRd yOu fIgHt, yOu wIlL aLl jOin LoRd AnAnkOs' rAnKs."

"Fat chance!" Leo shouted back as a dozen of Garon's spines burst into mutli-colored dust midair, courtesy of an anti-projectile he and Owain had cast when Garon launched his one-man assault on the army. "If you think my brother's dead, then you're wrong, because he's coming for you!"

Garon growled as an arrow imbedded itself in his chest. Looking down at the offending shaft sticking out of the body, the arrow, shaft and all, slowly sank into the depths of his slimy body. Looking up, he growled, "XaNdEr AlWaYs My fAvOrItE."

"If you think you can coax me with compliments, then you're sorely mistaken!" Xander shouted from behind the shield both he and Ryoma were hiding under. "My father was a just man, possessing a quick temper but never lashing out at those who don't deserve it, not…whatever you are. You're not even human! You're just a pale imitation of the real man!"

"I…aM aScEnDeD," Garon growled. "It iS yOu wHo aRe nOt hUmAn…"

Azura's eyes widened as she saw behind Garon, Corrin slowly got to his feet, shaking his head. He looked around, looking mildly confused until he saw Azura, Silas, Xander, Ryoma, Takumi, Leo, and the rest of the army huddled behind shields, pillars, and even corpses of fallen allies to avoid being pin cushioned by Garon's assault.

"Corrin!" she shouted. "Corrin! Over here!"

That was a mistake.

The lights where Garon's eyes had rested turned a violet shade of red as he rounded on Corrin, who looked like he was still too disoriented and wounded to do much other than to slowly look up at the creature in front of him.

"GoOdbYe, mY cHiLd," Garon said sadistically as he prepared to launch a volley of spines at the defenseless half-dragon.

" _NO!_ Anankos roared. " _DON'T!"_

Without warning, Anankos stuck his massive head and neck out, effectively shielding Corrin from the volley. The spines shattered harmlessly on the dragon's scales as the mask turned to look down at Garon, fell orbs lighting back up in its eyes as Garon took an unconscious step backward.

"M-mIloRd—" Garon started to say. "I-I—"

" _YOU ARE TO KEEP HIS BODY INTACT,_ " Anankos roared. " _HIS CORPSE MUST BE IN SATISFACTORY CONDITION WHEN I POSSESS IT."_

Though she could only see his feet, Azura thought she saw Corrin bend down to pick up Yato where Garon had tossed it as Garon turned his back on the dragon with a flourish of his cape.

"WhAt oF iT?" Garon asked indifferently. "WhY wOuLd yOu uSe tHaT…tHaT fOoL oF a ChIld aS aN aVaTaR wHeN YoU cAn uSe mE?"

Anankos' eyes flared red as he arched his neck, so that Garon was directly below him. " _YOU DARE DISRESPECT ME?"_

"oH, NoT aT AlL," Garon offered, looking back at the god. "I Am mErEly sUgGeStTiNg tHaT yOu uSe mY bOdY tO cHaNnEl yOuR iNfInItE pOwEr. JoIn wItH mE, aNd tOgEtHeR wE cAn dEsTrOy tHeSe mIsErAbLe fOolS aNd rUlE tHiS pItIfUl wOrlD!"

" _AS IF I WOULD EVER CONSIDER USING YOU, A PUREBRED HUMAN,"_ Anankos growled. _"MY POTENTIAL AVATAR WILL HAVE MORE DRAGON BLOOD IN HIS VEINS THEN YOU EVER WILL, FOOL."_

Garon stopped in his tracks as he looked up at the gaping jaw over his head. It was only then that he realized the danger he had gotten himself into.

"LoRd AnAnkOs!" he said. "SuReLy, I'm oF sOme wOrTh tO yOu, yOu wOuLdN't sAcRifCe mE fOr a NaiVeTe oF a cHiLd, wOuLd yOu? YoU cAlLeD mE hErE sO wE CoUlD dEsTrOy tHeSe fOoLs tOgEtHeR!"

Anankos chuckled dangerously as the pseudo-jaw cracked wider than ever before. " _YOU THINK TOO MUCH OF YOURSELF, WORM! WHY WOULD I, KING ANANKOS, LAST OF THE FIRST DRAGONS, EVER CALL UPON YOU FOR ANY OTHER REASON THAN TO TAKE BACK WHAT I'VE GIVEN YOU?"_

As Garon stuttered for an answer, Anankos suddenly snapped his head forward, clamping his stone pseudo-jaws around Garon. Everyone sprung backward, horror-struck at the sight as Corrin stealthily made his way around the two deranged monsters towards the army.

"LoRd AnAnKos!" Garon said, as he struggled to keep the jaws open. "wHaT aRe yOu dOiNg?"

" _TAKING BACK WHAT IS MINE!"_ Anankos roared, before flinging Garon into the air. The creature uttered a roar that one could only describe as primal fear as the stone jaw closed around him. Anankos bobbed his head forward, like a stork, once, twice as he swallowed Garon whole.

" _FATHER!"_ Elise screamed.

Everyone gasped and moved back in horror as Anankos messily devoured the rest of the slime Garon had spread across the room. Elise dropped to her knees, tears streaming from her face as Garon's crown fell clattering to the floor.

"F-father?"

"That…couldn't have been Father," Leo said, equally hollow. "That…that must've been…some sort of shapeshifting spell that Anankos cast to exploit our mental weaknesses! Yeah, that's it!"

"After everything, we're supposed to lose our father to Anankos as well?" Xander asked, shaking his head. Ryoma patted him hesitantly on the shoulder, as if unsure of whether or not he should be the one comforting him.

Azura ignored the Nohrian royals grieving the loss of what looked like their father as Corrin sprinted towards them, waving his arms over his head. "I'm still alive! Don't worry about me!" he shouted. "I'm fine!"

Sakura took a moment to rest a comforting hand on Elise's shoulder before moving towards Corrin, expertly checking his body for any wounds. The instant she ran her healing rod over Corrin's head, where he had struck the stone, he groaned and collapsed to his knees, panting.

"Corrin!" Azura was instantly by his side, and behind her was the rest of the royals save Camilla and Elise, the former comforting the latter by enveloping her in a bear hug.

Sakura's brow furrowed themselves in concentration as she ran her healing staff over Corrin's head. "You're h-hurt," she said. "I-it looks like you've g-got a c-concus—"

"Can it be fixed now?" Corrin asked, wincing as one of Azura's fingers ran over the gash in his head

Sakura swallowed nervously. "P-possibly. I-I've n-never had a-any sort of e-experiences b-before h-healing b-brain injuries."

"I have," Leo said seriously, pushing Takumi out of the way. So shocked was the Hoshidan prince at the recent turn of events that he did not even protest.

Leo knelt down next to Corrin and gently touched the gash at the base of his neck. "Y-you're lucky to be alive," he said, his voice fighting to be kept steady. "I can help Sakura heal you, but you're going to be unconscious for a good few minutes while the healing shuts your body down. There might be some side effects from the healing. It'll be better if we retreat to the fort, where we have actual medical supplies"

"Do it now," Corrin groaned. "If we retreat now…we'll never be able to have another chance to strike him down…

Leo nodded. "Very well." Looking towards Sakura, he nodded again. Sakura nervously tightened her grip on her festal as she started to utter some sort of healing spell. Leo in turn started reciting spells of his own while also uttering commands and words of encouragement to the shrine maiden as they worked.

In Azura's arms, Corrin's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he drifted off into a magically-induced stupor. Around them the rest of the army and Corrin's elite guard lined themselves around them putting themselves between Corrin and Anankos, who was now gagging and thrashing about again.

" _I'D FORGOTTEN HOW MUCH POWER I'VE GIVEN TO THAT LEECH,_ " Anankos glowered as he leered down at the army gathering themselves around another, smaller group clustered around Corrin, supervising the healing.

The army all pointed their weapons at the massive head glaring down at them as Anankos threw his head back and laughed, a deep, bellowing sound that caused the entire room to shake.

" _NO MATTER,"_ Anankos jeered. " _NONE OF YOU STAND A CHANCE NOW THAT I'VE FULLY REGAINED MY POWER. EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WIL FALL. I WILL CRUSH YOUR BONES BENEATH MY FEET, AND EVEN THEN, YOUR TORMENT SHALL NEVER END. I'LL DO TO YOU WHAT I'VE DONE TO THE SURVIVING VALLITES ALL THESE YEARS—SLAVERY, FOOD, ENTERTAINEMENT, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, I'LL TURN EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU INTO MY SERVANTS. PREPARE TO BE OBLITERATED."_

Without warning, the stone mask suddenly started to crack, with the stone around the mask completely breaking away, blowing outwards towards them and showering them in slivers of stone. Azura watched in shock and horror as a series of eyes stared back at her before the orbs suddenly went dark.

The mask suddenly collapsed limply to the floor, and as the forward guard took a few tentative steps towards the mask, the entire castle shook. Dust and debris fell in clumps from the ceiling as the mask was suddenly pulled back into the dark shadows where the neck protruded from, and in the distance, she could hear the roar of some impossibly large beast.

In her arms, Corrin's eyes suddenly snapped open. "W-what happened?" he asked.

Next to Azura, Xander hunched over, coughing and rubbing his eyes. "We have to get out of here!" he said, wheezing. "This whole castle's about to collapse!"

Right on cue, a piece of stone the size of a house fell from the ceiling and landed next to the empty void Anankos had just been occupying, where it shattered in a dozen pieces. Around them, more cracks spread through the walls, ominous shrieks and groans sounding from every side.

Corrin tried to get his feet as another piece of rubble fell from the ceiling, landing among the men this time and sending a chorus of screams and groans up. He barely managed to get his feet underneath himself that he stumbled, clutching at his head. Azura caught him and propped him up just before he fell again.

"What's going on?" he asked again. "Where's Anankos?"

"He left," Azura said simply as she tried to half-walk, half-carry Corrin towards the massive golden gates. "Just like we're about to leave now."

"Everyone! Pull back! Now!" Xander and Ryoma shouted at the army. "This entire castle is about to collapse! Run for the exit and arrange yourselves in a block the instant you're out of the castle walls and on the fields! That's an order, go!"

A stampede of feet sounded as everyone turned and ran, several tripping and being stepped on as the men made their desperate escape. Eventually, only Azura, Corrin, Silas, Kaze, Xander, and Ryoma were left in the throne room.

"We'll have to carry him," Azura said, trying to keep her balance as another quake shook the room.

"No need," Kaze said coolly as he brought over a team of horses. "These horses are ones who've lost their riders. We can use them to escape."

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Corrin protested, flapping his hand weakly towards them. "I…just need a few minutes to—"

"We don't _have_ a few minutes!" Ryoma said. "Azura, can't you sing your song and fix whatever's bothering Corrin?"

"My song only rejuvenates," she explained. "It can't heal wounds. It can only restore energy."

"I'm fine!" Corrin insisted again. "I…just need to lean on someone while we make our escape."

"You can ride on my horse with me," Silas offered, patting the back on his saddle. "Don't worry, she doesn't bite."

Sensing no other option, Azura nodded, giving her consent. As Kaze, Silas, and Ryoma tried to help a still-somewhat-loopy Corrin into the saddle, Xander approached her from behind.

"What did Anankos just do?" he asked. "Is he trying to get to our world?"

"No, I don't think so," she replied. "My best guess is that Anankos has taken on his true form as a First Dragon, but since he said he's going to crush us first before he invades the rest of the world, I'm guessing he's going to do exactly that."

Xander nodded. "I see." Turning back towards the trio of men helping Corrin into the saddle, he shouted, "Are you done?"

As Silas flashed him a thumbs up, Xander look Azura's arm and bent down low to her. "The instant we're out of your castle, you are to stay as close as you can to Corrin, no matter the danger. If we lose him now, then we lose everything. Make sure he gets healed up enough so that he can fight. Got it?"

Azura nodded. "I understand."

"Good." Releasing her arm, Xander jogged back towards a group of horses whose owners had unfortunately expired during the battle. "We need to leave, now!" he said as he clambered onto one of the horses.

"What about the wounded?" Silas asked. "We can't leave them here!"

Ryoma shook his head, disgusted with himself. "We have no choice. This castle's about to collapse and taking on anymore wounded would only slow us down."

Silas nodded, clearly unhappy with how things turned out, but he obediently turned his horse and galloped out of the great throne room, with Xander, Kaze, Ryoma, and Azura following close on horseback.

As Azura wrapped an arm Ryoma's waist as they rode, she snuck a glance at Corrin sitting behind Silas. His head lolled about somewhat listlessly, but as soon as he noticed Azura looking at him, he slapped himself on the head and gave her a quick nod.

Azura nodded back and looked forward.

Piles of broken stone covered the floor along much of the hallway, which slowed their advance. To either side, Azura could see into the rubble-filled rooms and tunnels that the explosion had torn open. Within them, tables, chairs, and other pieces of furniture stuck out at odd angles.

The limbs of the dead and dying, members of their army who were unfortunately crushed as they made their escape, dotted the length of the hallway from beneath the tumbled, occasionally a grimy face or the back of a head.

As the rode, Azura thought she heard Xander mutter something under his breath. "What was that?" she asked.

"I said that Leo would've loved to see all the treasure stored in here!" Xander shouted back. "He's quite the fanatic when it comes to history!"

Farther down the hallway, Azura could see about a dozen or so soldiers pouring out of the now-gaping entrance. There were burns, scraps, and other such wounds prevalent among them, but most seemed able-bodied and unhurt. The stragglers moved aside for their horses, but otherwise ignored the royals as the officers and members of Corrin's elite guard shouted at them, urging them to form up and move faster.

They were nearly at the end of the hall when a thunderous crash sounded behind them. Azura looked back to see that the throne chamber had caved in on itself, burying the chamber under a pile of stone easily fifty feet thick.

"Thank the gods we got out of there in time!" Silas jaunted as they continued forward.

"Indeed," Ryoma said with a grim smile.

As they emerged from the citadel, the air cleared and Azura was able to see firsthand the destruction Anankos had wrought in the few minutes they had spent escaping the castle. Many of the roofs of nearby buildings had been ripped off and set fire to the beams underneath.

Scores of fires dotted the rest of the city. As Azura looked at the threads and plumes of smoke drifting upwards, she noticed something about their movement. Instead of rising straight up, as most smoke did when there was no wind, the smoke she watched seemed like they were…bending, somehow. They would continue straight upwards for about forty or so feet before inexplicably distorting and bending towards the castle, almost as if there was an invisible force of gravity pulling on them. Even the dozen or so wyvern riders and Pegasus knights they saw flying overhead seemed to be affected, judging by their rider's panicked voices and the beasts' laborious sounding pants.

As they rode out of the castle walls, towards the temporary camp the Pegasus knights and wyvern riders had set up on a hill roughly a mile away from the castle, Azura noticed that the sky too was off. The floating islands also seemed distorted, as if that same force was pulling them towards the castle.

As their horses slowed to a halt, panting, Azura quickly dismounted and helped Corrin off the saddle. Grunting from the effort, she tried half-carrying, half-dragging him over to where Sakura and Elise had already set up a healing tent.

She deposited him on a makeshift stretcher made out of some spear shafts and pieces of cloth and watched worriedly in a nearby tent as Sakura and Elise began their healing work, ignoring their own cuts and scrapes.

Meanwhile, Ryoma dismounted as well and proceeded to tell what few soldiers currently with them to form a perimeter. He was in the middle of telling them the instructions that his voice suddenly slackened, causing Azura look back at him.

What she saw when she walked back outside also caused her voice to die inside herself.

A brilliant purple explosion erupted from Castle Gyges, sending a massive cloud of debris and dust into the air. As Azura watched, the silhouette of some sort of impossibly large beast rose out of the rubble, threw its head back, and roared.

Anankos, revitalized with the entirety of his awesome power, rose out of the rubble. Even at their distance, Azura could make out features of the dragon, which did nothing except to send a shiver of horror running down her spine. Azura had always heard that dragons could be unimaginably large, but what a dragon to hear its roar and see the malevolent glint in its hate-filled orange eyes from over a mile away!

Even Castle Gyges, a palace built in such a manner that it dwarfed even Castle Krackenburg in Nohr and Castle Shirasagi in Hoshido combined, could barely manage to obscure the main portion of Anankos' long, twisted body.

Azura slowly fell to her knees. It was just like before, when her mother had taken her on a desperate, last-minute run for freedom when Anankos attacked. She remembered seeing those horrible orange eyes, that death-mace of tail as it thrashed, knocking over one of Castle Gyges' massive watchtowers. Was everything they did, everything they sacrificed…was it all for nothing?

On the stretcher, Corrin frowned as he noticed Sakura and Elise staring horror-stricken back at the castle. "What's going—"

Azura watched with something rapidly approaching primal fear as Anankos spread his wings with a sound like a hundred black and brown sails filling with wind. When he flapped, the air shook as if from a clap of thunder, and throughout the countryside surrounding the castle, what few animals bayed and ran away.

Without thinking, Azura crouched, feeling like a mouse hiding from an eagle.

Unlike Corrin's wings, which were a brilliant sheen of metallic platinum-white, Anankos' wings looked leathery, alive, and above all else, absolutely _terrifying_. There were missing patches and tatters of skin hanging loosely from his wings as he spread them apart, beating them ever-so-slowly.

Anankos roared again, but this time, a brilliant ball of violet light gathered around that horrible eye-head-orb-mouth-thing. Whipping his head back, he cast the fell-orb into the air.

For a split second, Azura had thought he meant to arc the attack towards them, but after watching the fell-orb rise continuously into the air, it became obvious what Anankos planned to do.

Around them, the sky turned a violent and dark shade of purple, with swathes of stars inexplicably appearing between the floating islands. Azura stumbled as she felt a great wind tear at her clothes and hair. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw as one of the tents the healers were working tear itself out of the ground, stakes and all, leaving the workers inside staring up at the massive dragon in horror.

As Azura watched the ball grow darker and darker, the wind grew more intense, and she saw an _honest-to-gods_ patch of land next to them tear itself away and fly towards the orb. By now, the orb become less than an orb and more of a singularity. So strong was the wind, that even light seemed to curl and distort itself, so that the floating islands being pulled into it started to elongate and twist in impossible ways.

Corrin swore as a tool hit him in the back of his head. Crashing to the floor, he noticed that the ground underneath him was shaking. His eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen, and immediately after grabbing Yato, his cape, and pieces of his armor, he dove outside, out of the confines of his tent. A split second later, the ground the tent was pitched on started to tear itself away too, breaking into chucks of dirt and stone as the pieces flung themselves towards the singularity.

Corrin's jaw dropped as he looked around him. The sky had turned black and purple, and swathes of stars disappeared completely as Anankos wheeled across the sky, climbing higher and higher. Corrin tried to guess the dragon's exact shape from the outline of his shape, but the now-turned nighttime sky was too dark and distance too hard to determine, though it wasn't like it mattered anyways. Whatever Anankos' exact proportions, he was frighteningly large.

"Holy sh—"

Before Corrin could finish, he yelped and hit the deck as another cluster of debris flew over his head. He watched as the pile of rocks and dirt grew smaller and smaller the closer they got to the black hole whereupon they vanished altogether.

Corrin struggled to his feet as he stumbled towards Azura, who was still kneeling on the ground with a blank expression as she watched Anankos wheel through the sky. "Hey, you alright?" he asked, sliding on the grass next to her.

She looked at him, and something in Corrin's chest clenched at the fearful expression in her eyes. A familiar feeling, gone unfelt ever since Mikoto's death spread throughout his body as Azura clutched at his hand.

"Yeah," she said in a small, timid voice.

He grabbed her by the shoulder, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Look at me!" he said. "Look at me! You have to get it together!"

When she finally meet his gaze, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Azura let out a small _eep_ , shocked at the sudden contact, but it didn't take long for her to return the action, twirling Corrin's hair at the back of his neck around her finger.

When Azura pressed her lips against his, Corrin immediately deepened the kiss, bringing her body closer to his. After a few moments, the separated, both flushed.

"Corrin…" Azura said before being forestalled by Corrin squeezing her hand.

"Sh…" he shushed, hugging her again so that her head rested on his shoulder. He patted her on the back of her head as Azura tightened her grip on him.

"It's going to be alright," he said quietly. "I'm still here. We'll win this."

"And what if we don't?" Azura asked, breaking off to look at him. "You know what Anankos wants to do. The moment he wins here, he's going to turn his attention on the rest of the world. I already saw first-hand the…the _things_ he did to my people. I can't let that happen. Not again!"

Corrin guided her head towards his shoulder again as they held each other in their arms. "I won't allow it," he said simply.

Azura's arms fell limply to her knees as Corrin stood up. She watched as Corrin finished strapping his signature blue cape to his armor, put on the few pieces of armor Sakura and Elise had removed during their healing, and unsheathed Yato.

"I won't allow it!" he said again, this time more passionately. He clenched his fist. "We've been through— _you've_ been through too much for us to simply fail here."

Looking down at her, Corrin said, "I don't care if you're my cousin, my friend, or even my ally. I'm going to put Anankos down today because I _love_ you. Let history write that how they want it."

"C-Corrin…" Azura felt tears of relief spring to her eyes as she covered her mouth with her hands. "I—"

"But I can't do it alone," Corrin interrupted somberly. "I want you up there with me. I _need_ you up there with me. Will…will you give me the pleasure to face your greatest demon, the world's greatest threat, together? With me?"

Azura felt something close to a smile break out on her face as she accepted Corrin's outstretched hand. "I'd like nothing more," she said.

Wiping her tears away on the back of her hand, Azura blushed as she became aware of the relatively large crowd gathered around them. "S-sorry," she apologized. "I-I didn't mean to break down there so quickly."

Corrin smiled at her, and for a split second, Azura genuinely believed everything was fine. She even managed to drone out the rhythmic _thud_ of Anankos' wings beating above them.

"Don't worry about it," he said kindly. "Everyone's got a breaking point."

Leaning in closer to her so he could whisper in her ear, Corrin muttered, "After this, find me. We still need to talk. About…about us."

Azura paused for a second before nodding. Corrin smiled and nodded as well.

"Well…said," said Ryoma's voice.

The two turned to see Ryoma walking toward them. Ducking under a tree branch, he knelt in front of them.

"Sorry for kneeling," Ryoma apologized. "It's just—you know—things are flying everywhere and I'm tall so—"

"It's fine," Azura said, her stoic mask reasserting itself over her face.

"I hope I'm not interrupting your little get-together," Ryoma said, "but we need you. _Both_ of you." He looked between the half-dragon and songstress. "Our men are panicking. Already a dozen wyvern riders and Pegasus knights have deserted, though I doubt they'll get far. We need you two to give them hope, to motivate them to fight one last time."

"Why can't you do it?" Corrin asked. "Not that I don't want, but aren't you and Xander the leader of Hoshido's and Nohr's armies here today? Wouldn't they listen to you better?"

"Perhaps," Ryoma mused, "But then again, we're not the ones who tried to take on a dragon god by themselves."

Corrin winced as Azura pulled on one of his pointed ears. "Didn't I tell you that was the one thing not to do?" she hissed.

"Agh! I know, I know, but you know I'm the only one who could actually hurt Anankos!" he said, grimacing.

Sighing, Azura let him go. "I know," she said dejectedly. "Which means you'll have to face him alone again."

Rubbing his ear, Corrin quickly said, "But I won't be alone though! I'll have you, Ryoma Xander—I'll have all of you helping me this time. All you need to do is—"

"Maybe we should wait until you're up there, in front of the crowd, before you go about telling us your master plan. I'm sure it's probably long and convoluted, so it'll be better to say it once and not waste any more time."

"But—"

"Come on you," Azura said, pulling him towards the mass of soldiers gathered at the top of the hill.

Corrin only tried to escape twice before he found himself standing in the back of an empty wagon, looking out over a field of upturned faces—some afraid, and some not. He took a moment to collect his thoughts before speaking, and even then he felt apprehensive.

On their way there, Corrin asked Ryoma for advice and Ryoma simply told him, "Remember, they're not your enemy. You have nothing to fear from them. They _want_ to like you. Speak clearly, speak honestly, and whatever you do, keep your doubts to youself. That's the best and easiest way to win them over. They're going to be afraid of Anankos naturally, but so long you give the, the reassurance they need, they'll follow your orders without question."

Despite Ryoma's encouragement, Corrin still felt apprehensive about his makeshift speech. It wasn't that he was nervous about standing and giving a speech in front of people, but it was rather the situation. If he said the wrong thing, the effects could be infinitely more disastrous.

Despite that, he soon found himself standing before the six hundred or so remaining soldiers. All of them were grim-faced, and all of their equipment were damaged or bloodied in some way. Either way, Corrin knew very few of them would survive, but doing as Ryoma said and keeping his doubts to himself, he began.

"Anankos needs to be stopped," Corrin said simply. "He needs to be stopped, and in order to do that, I…I need all of you to follow my instructions to the letter. I need all of you to form a defensive formation around me while I engage Anankos. He's going to be the one coming to us, so as long as we don't overextend ourselves, victory is all but assured!" He pumped his fist into the air.

Silence. Silence so groundbreaking that it even felt as if Anankos had stopped his antics just to listen to them.

Corrin nervously lowered his hand. This could not be going any more poorly. "Look, I'm sure you've all seen—and heard—that dragon flying around us. Ignore it for a second. Look at me. Who do you see before you? You probably see me, a Nohrian prince born in Hoshido. I don't care if you love me or if you hate me. What matters right now is that…this is it. This is the edge of the cliff, the no man's land, the End of All. This is our final stand. Whatever happens today…happens. If we fail, Anankos will take over out bodies and use them as the initial wave in an assault on the rest of the world that will end in the total and utter extinction of life as we know it. This—in my opinion—is bad. Not just because it would lead to the death of all that you hold dear, but because I'm sure everyone one of you have suffered because of Anankos' actions. Well, today is the day where we strike back against out gods! Today is the day where stand together—not as Hoshidans or Nohrians, or even Vallites. Today we stand together as brothers, sisters! Today we stand together as humanity! Some of you might be thinking, 'Well, this dragon god flying around the castle looks really big and hard to kill.' Don't give up! It doesn't matter how large or impressive Anankos looks, we can win so long as we stand shoulder to shoulder and face him together! Don't stop believing in yourselves! I know we've all lost someone today, and that of the original ten thousand of you, only a few hundred remain, but don't give up! We've come too far to give up, and I absolutely refuse to back down! This is our destiny, to overthrow a cruel and unjust future. Today is the day that we make our own fate! Ready your weapons and prepare for battle! Fight for your friends! With the Fire Emblem on our side…we fight for our world!"

Corrin flinched and almost fell off the wagon as the crowd roared with approval. Somewhat relieved, Corrin jumped down from the back of the wagon to where Ryoma, Azura, and the rest of the royals were waiting. All of them looked pleased at his speech, and Elise immediately ran over and gave him a hug.

"Not bad," Leo said, giving him a mock slaw clap. "Not bad at all…"

"I agree. That was…quite eloquent," Ryoma said. "I see you took my advice."

Corrin rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "I'm going to be honest, I have no idea what I just said. I just sort of remembered what Azura and I talked about before Ryoma dragged me over."

Camilla smothered him in a bear hug. "Oh, you did so well!" she cooed. "Come here, you!"

"Enough, Camilla!" Takumi said moodily. "It still doesn't change the fact that we're still up against a dragon that can _literally create black holes out of thin fucking air._ "

Instantly, the mood became more somber as everyone looked down at their feet.

"So…I guess we're all going to die today?" Elise asked, not knowing how much her question hurt.

Xander chuckled. "Never thought I'd spend my last day here on Earth next to the crown prince of Hoshido, making fun of my younger step-brother's speech."

"Same," Ryoma said. "Fate is strange, isn't it?"

"I don't think so," Corrin said, looking around at the group.

"Huh?" Takumi asked. "What do you mean?"

"I feel that, in some odd, unforeseen way, this was meant to happen. I don't know why, but I have a pretty good feeling about this. I don't know if all of us will make it through, but I can feel that no matter what happens, Anankos won't succeed."

"How do you know that?" Azura asked.

Corrin shrugged. "It's like this feeling. The closest thing I can describe it as is seeing a woman singing next to a lake and instantly falling in love with her. It's sort of like that, but without, you know, the lake, the love, and the woman."

Leo rolled his eyes as Azura blushed. "So it's just a feeling," he said. "Perfect."

Whatever else they were going to talk about was interrupted as Anankos suddenly landed at the base of the hill, silencing the men underneath him when he landed. As for those who were fortunate enough to be stationed at the camp, they formed themselves up around Corrin and the royals. The rest of the army soon did the same, and soon, they were little more than an island of black and red amidst an ocean of purple, for Anankos had raised his army of the dead once again. This time, they would succeed, one way or another.

" _HAHAHAHA…"_ Anankos laughed. " _SO THIS IS HUMANITY'S FINAL STAND. HOW PITIFUL. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DEFEAT ME NOW THAT I'M BACK IN MY PURE FORM?"_

Corrin looked around at the army, at his siblings, his retainers, his friends, his allies. He looked up at the sky, which was now completely black save for a few splotches of stars. He looked at the black hole drawing in the trees, lakes, and floating islands. He looked at Anankos, at the orb clenched between massive, eyeless jaws. He looked into those orange hateful eyes, but most importantly, he looked at Azura, and she looked back at him.

She gave him an ever-so-small nod, and that was all he needed.

"The answer's simple," Corrin said, gesturing towards his family and the army around him. "It's not a question of how we're going to defeat you. We _will_ defeat you."

He twirled Yato around him before finally settling in into a defensive position, his feet spread apart and both hands on Yato's hilt as he glared up at Anankos. Behind him, his siblings all unsheathed their respective weapons and readied their weapons as they assembled themselves behind Corrin.

"We'll defeat you and put an end to this endless night you've created," Azura said, adding her voice to Corrin's. "Together, right Corrin?"

Corrin nodded. "Together."


	28. Arc 3: Aftermath

A/N: I've decided Arc 3 will NOT be about life after the war, but will rather be appropriately titled "Aftermath." Premise is simple. Go read The Apocryphal One's version. Mine will pull a few strings from hers, but most of this Arc will be all original, with some names, character personalities, and events pulled from her version. Also, no crippling wounds.

Arc 4 is what I'm sure all you guys are excited for. It's literally going to be a full 20-40 chapters of pure fluff, but here's the catch: I'm about as original as Street Fighter games, which means besides a few ideas here and there, I got nothing. That's where you guys come in. PM me or leave a review stating what topic you want (in universe only), and I'll probably get to it. Depending on how much of the community still harps about Fates after that Three Houses showcase (I'm hyped, btw), I'll probably try to get to ALL of them, though I doubt it.

Anywho, hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of the characters. Everything goes to their original creators.

* * *

" _ **The Barrier Wa**_ _r, later dubbed as_ _ **The Invisible War**_ _by historians due to the massive numbers of proxy battles instigated by Valla without the nation ever revealing itself, was the defining event of the century in all three kingdoms. In total, the Invisible War resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives. Valla, especially, suffered due to over 95% of the population being wiped out and turned into footsoldiers by Anankos._

 _In total, the number of lives lost during the almost 36-year long war numbered in the millions, with 11 million being the largest estimated number. It is difficult to count casualties due to the convoluted military tactics and political disagreements occurring during The Barrier War._

 _For simplicity's sake, we will simply refer to The Barrier War as the series of proxy conflicts orchestrated by Valla while The Invisible War refers to the entire conflict as a whole, though it may also refer to the military operation of the same name (For more information on the military operation, please turn to page 823), led by_ _ **Prince Corrin**_ _ **Rheos**_ _of Hoshido and Nohr (For more information on Prince Corrin, please turn to page 842)._

 _The Invisible War had its roots starting all the way back during The First War. Though documents from this time period remain in unreadable conditions, most documents recovered all seem to point to the bountiful harvest experienced by Hoshido that year (For more information on Hoshido, turn to page 400)._

 _It was also during this period of time that Nohr was undergoing a political and social revolution. In a daring coup that resulted in the deaths of almost all members of the Nohrian royal family,_ _ **Prince Xandridas**_ _ **Castellos**_ _rose to power (For more information on Prince Xandridas, turn to page 240). He quickly emplaced new laws and taxes on the people, mostly on the working poor and middle class. His reign was not a favorable one, and after a short 8 years, he and all of his sons mysteriously disappeared overnight._

 _Thus began a new struggle with power, known as_ _ **The Moonlight Coup**_ _(page 243). After another 4 years of fighting, Queen_ _ **Tatania Castellos,** Prince Xandridas' sister, __rose to power. Like her predecessor, she also immediately placed taxes and proceeded to exploit the lower class in order to improve relationships among the nobility. While Queen Tatania's reign was seen more favorably by the working class due to all of her actions having clear or direct benefits towards them, she was overthrown in yet another coup when she emplaced a new tax on alcohol. Though she eliminated most of her initial rivals, those who managed to escape eventually resurfaced and staged a coup, eventually executing Queen Tatania and all her children through beheading._

 _And so began yet another period of civil war within Nohr. This period of unrest, known as_ _ **The Concubine Wars**_ _, which was characterized by the massive numbers of royal children and royal concubines being murdered, more often than not by other concubines and their children in their desperate bid for power. It was during this time that, in typical Nohrian fashion, another heir was appointed to the throne, this time_ _ **King**_ _ **Garon**_ _ **Aurelius**_ _(For more information on King Garon, turn to page 278)._

 _Unlike his previous two predecessors, King Garon took a more enlightened approach to appeasing the angry people. Instead of taxing the working class heavily so that he could focus on strengthening Nohr's economy, he introduced a never-before-seen system of taxation known as a progressive tax._

 _A progressive tax is a tax that imposed lower tax rates on low-income earners compared to those with higher income, making it based on the taxpayer's ability to pay. That means it takes a larger percentage from the nobles and high-income earners than it does from low-income earners._

 _Such a system was praised as being one of Garon's best actions during his long reign (XX30-XX85), though there were many other additions and changes Garon made to Nohr as a whole, including strengthening the military, inputting a proper monetary value, and most famously, declaring a 'cold war' against Hoshido._

 _Despite the relative prosperity brought upon Nohr by Garon's actions, Nohr was still undergoing one of the worst economic depressions it had ever seen, partly due to the lasting effects of The Concubine Wars. Due to a series of magically-induced explosions raging across the country in all of the nation's banks, the economy suddenly plummeted, and with it, birth rates and food supplies._

 _It was during this time that historians hypothesized that_ _ **Anankos**_ _, one of the First Dragons, came to power in Valla, overthrowing its previous ruler and subjugating the peoples to horrors survivors have yet to describe. According to the few who willingly gave away this information, Anankos slowly started to descend into madness, destroying Brightwood Forest, sealed Valla away from the rest of the world, placed a curse upon the nation's name that killed whoever spoke it, wiped all traces of Valla from history, which explains Valla's mysterious nature despite it being the youngest out of the three nations, and killed their king,_ _ **Theophilus Rheos**_ _(For more information on the Rheos family, turn to page 813)._

 _What followed was a series of plagues, droughts, and foot shortages. Shortly afterwards, Anankos launched a massive invasion against the people of Valla in what survivors would call '_ _ **The Decimation**_ _.' Of the 1.2 million people living in Valla when Anankos invaded, nearly 99% of those people were either killed, used as experiments and training dummies, or simply turned into undead soldiers for Anankos' own personal use._

 _It is roughly estimated that the remaining 10,000 Vallites managed to cross into our world safely, though by the time The Invisible War ended, only a mere 2,000 remained alive. It is hypothesized that most of the survivors integrated themselves in The Barrier War, where most of them were either killed in the combat or picked off my assassins sent by Anankos to our world. The rest most likely died due the aforementioned curse placed on Valla's name that killed the speaker whenever they mention Valla's name…"_

"Eight-forty-two, huh?"

" _ **Prince Corrin Rheos**_ _(n_ _ée Aurelius and Minamoto) was a Hoshidan prince kidnapped and raised in Nohr. He was one of history's few 'stable' manaketes and was the one who led the combined forces of Nohr and Hoshido against Anankos' forces. After a brutal military campaign in Valla, he was praised as a hero. Shortly afterwards, he was married to a woman so mysterious, only her name,_ _ **Azura**_ _, is known._

 _Born in XX62, he was secretly kidnapped by Nohr during the Barrier War for use as a potential hostage. In response, Hoshido quickly captured one of King Garon's many daughters._

 _This same daughter would, coincidentally, become Prince Corrin's future wife. While there are few records of his spouse besides mentions of how she was the last member of Valla's royal family, the Rheos, both were hailed as heroes following The Invisible War. (For more information and theories brought up by historians, please turn to Page 852)…_

"Eight…five…two…"

There was almost nothing on Azura. All the page contained was a single portrait portraying a young-looking woman with beautiful golden eyes and long azure hair. The picture was yellowed and stained by time, and a short paragraph underneath it read:

" _There are almost no official records or stories of Azura from after the Invisible War. Besides a few scattered documents of her marriage to Prince Corrin Rheos, she remains a historical history. She was supposedly such a mysterious figure that later generations wondered if she truly existed at all, or if she was merely a spirit sent by the gods in human form. This is the only known picture of her that clearly showed her appearance."_

"That's…it? That's all they have on her?"

"Aha! Found you! You like what you're reading there?"

The boy jumped as the Lorekeeper stepped out from behind the corner, a gentle smile slashing through his long, white beard. Despite his age, he still walked as tall and strongly as men half, no, a third—a _fifth_ of his age. His voice was deep and silky smooth, yet they contained enough of his past youth for those who visited The Records to smile at the hint of boyishness in his demeanor whenever he rarely decided to engage with visitors."

"Sort of," the boy replied. "But I feel like some things are missing here."

The Lorekeeper frowned slightly. "That's unlikely. To my knowledge, there are only a few topics that is not annexed in the Sevenfold Sanctuary. What's missing, hm?"

In response, the boy showed the Lorekeeper the open book with the picture of the woman. The Lorekeeper's red eyes widened as he gently ran his finger over the woman's visage. "Azura…"

"Hm? What was that?" the boy asked.

The Lorekeeper shook his, clearing his thoughts. "Ah, yes, do forgive me. I'm afraid that in my old age, I'm prone to occasional misfits and bouts of absentmindedness. It seems this…was one of those times."

"Don't worry," the boy said, smiling. "That's why I'm here, aren't I? To remind you of mistakes in your collection."

The Lorekeeper smiled back and rested a hand on the boy's shoulder. "One day, Corrin, one day. One day, you'll replace me as the new Lorekeeper if you continue your studies underneath me, but until then, how about I treat you to a little…well, treat?"

"What kind of treat are we talking about?" Corrin asked excitedly. "Don't tell me it's the aquarium section again."

The Lorekeeper chuckled as he patted the boy's back. "Oh, no, it's not that. It'll _never_ be that again. What happens in the aquarium section _stays_ in the aquarium section. I know part of the reason you decided to come here to Notre Sagesse was so that you can learn more about this world, and for one to survive the trials at such a young age…well, I'm afraid I've been keeping more things from than I should have."

Corrin frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Suddenly solemn, the Lorekeeper looked at Corrin in the eyes. "Listen, when the clock strike midnight tonight, come find me in The Records Hall. There's something I need to tell you…"

* * *

" _RISE, HUMAN."_

Iago's eyes snapped open. He was lying face down in a field of what felt like grass. As he slowly rose, his suspicions were confirmed when he saw that he was lying in a field of lush grass stretching in all directions. There were no mountains, no trees, no rocks. Just grass, grassy hills, and a low, rolling fog.

Iago looked down at his hands, which were still whole and attached, despite the painful memory of that whelpling crown prince's blow lopping off both his hands and head. Suddenly, it came to him.

" _I'm alive?"_ he said to himself. Sure enough, when his hands reached up to his neck, his neck was whole again, seamless.

Iago crouched low to the ground as he felt a great weight shake the ground. Around him, the fog turned into a poisonous shade of purple, and Iago instinctively reached into his coat pocket for his tome, only to realize that a) he was still naked, and b) he could not cast even the most rudimentary spells, the spells that required no tomes or staffs to cast.

" _DON'T EVEN BOTHER,_ " the rumbling voice growled again. " _IF I, A DRAGON, COULD NOT BREAK THIS PLACE'S ANTI-MAGIC AURA, WHAT MAKES YOU THINK_ _THAT YOU, A MERE HUMAN, COULD SUCCEED WHERE I COULD NOT?"_

Iago whimpered as a massive shadow overcame him, and he dropped to his knees as a massive dragon with a face he knew all too well landed a mere few meters away from him.

" _IAGO,_ " Anankos greeted. " _I HAVE NEED OF YOUR SERVICES ONCE AGAIN."_

Iago hastily dropped to one knee and bowed his head , remembering the countless hours he had spent making sure his ettiquete around Anankos was spotless. " _Y-yes, milord? What do you require of me?"_

Anankos' massive eye orb slowly descended to Iago's level as those horrible orange eyes centered themselves around him, bathing his body in an orange light.

" _DESPITE MY EFFORTS, I HAVE FALLEN,"_ Anankos said simply. " _THOSE WHELPS GOT THE BEST OF ME, AND FOR MY OVERSIGHT, I HAVE LOST."_

" _L-lost?"_ Iago repeated, trembling. " _B-but everything went according to our—to your plan! I even sacrificed my life for you!"_

" _AND THE TIME HAS COME WHERE I HAVE NEED OF YOUR LOYALTY ONCE AGAIN, IAGO,"_ Anankos said. " _YOU WILL BE MY WEAPON. YOU WILL BE MY TOOL. YOU WILL BE MY REVENGE. TORMENT THAT PATHETIC WRETCH, CORRIN. KILL HIS MATE AND CRACK HIS EGGS.I WILL NOT DIE KNOWING THAT MY MORTAL ENEMY, MAN, HAS MANAGED TO OUTLIVE ME, A FIRST DRAGON."_

" _B-but how?_ " Iago asked. " _If you say that you failed, and if I was killed, then how are we supposed to strike back against Corrin? Not saying that I wouldn't do anything for you—I would—but without an obvious way for us to escape this…this place, what are we supposed to do?"_

Anankos rumbled deeply in the back of his throat as he massive head rose up, looking all around himself. " _I HAVE DECIDED THAT IN ORDER FOR CORRIN TO SUFFER, I WILL USE THE LAST OF MY POWER TO SEND YOU BACK TO THE DRAGON REALMS. THE PROCESS WILL NOT BE…PLEASANT. ALL I REQUIRE OF YOU IS YOUR FREEDOM ONCE AGAIN."_

" _I thought you said you couldn't break this place's anti-magic aura?"_ Iago asked.

That was a mistake.

" _ARE YOU DOUBTING YOUR MASTER'S ABILITY TO CAST MAGIC THE LIKES OF WHICH EVEN THE OTHER DRAGONS FEARED?"_ Anankos raged. " _NOTHING, NOT EVEN THIS PITHY BARRIER SPELL WILL PREVENT ME FROM EXACTING REVENGE ON THAT WHELP!"_

Iago immediately averted his gaze as his memory flashed back to the day Anankos came. He had only been a teenager when he saw his parents and sister incinerated in one of Anankos' raging infernos, only for them to revive again. At the time, he had been overjoyed to see his family again, but when they reached out towards him and threatened to crush his throat, to add his soul to Anankos', he felt…something break inside him.

He remembered the desperate, month-long trek towards the last body of water that he knew of in Valla, only for Anankos to capture him as easily as a cat would catch a crippled rat. He had set up his puppet guards around every body of water and he foolishly tried to force his way past them, confident his magical skills would aid him in his escape.

He had been wrong.

He remembered those dark months spent in Castle Gyges' dungeons, those cold, dead eyes prodding at his body with every instrument of death available. He had tried to fight at first, he cursed Anankos' name and all that he stood for, but it wasn't long before his will broke.

Iago wasn't sure why Anankos had decided to spare him his life and soul. Perhaps it was because he was one of the few survivors of Valla's coup who had some worth as a mage and martial skill. Maybe it was because of his ability to use dark magic, despite his young age. But most likely, it was Iago's hasty surrender once he realized he couldn't win without dying, and that even when he died, he lost.

Was he a coward? Yes. Was it really all that wrong though? He was still alive, which was more than what most of Valla's population could say. He didn't want to turn into…into those puppets! Those _things_ , those godawful undead abominations with no souls, memories, or wills of their own.

If he was going to remain a slave for the rest of his life, however long that may be, he would rather spend his days with his soul intact than to die knowing his body would live longer than him. And so he swore fealty to Anankos.

Did he betray Valla? Yes, possibly. But was it worth fighting against something that couldn't be beaten? Life was just a fine game of balance, and Iago decided he would rather live a life filled with balance and order rather than unbalance and chaos.

And besides, Anankos' plan, while gruesome, did have some merits. Every time he looked outside the palace windows during his studies, he could see the poor starving on the streets while those more fortunate spent their days eating, stuffing their faces with whatever food at their disposal. It made Iago's blood boil, knowing that had his ability to use magic remained hidden, he would've been like one of those beggars on the streets, eating the trash the nobles threw at them out of sheer desperation.

"This is all because of overpopulation!" Iago raged during on of their lessons. A week prior to that lesson, Anankos had just destroyed Brightwood Forest, and starvation rates were at an all time high. A week ago, one of Iago's cousins died due to starvation.

"It's all because there's nothing regulating the amount of power the upper class has! If we had, like, some sort of greater power who could decide who deserved to live or die based solely on their merit and not their wealth, then literally every problem in this city would be solved!"

Fate had a cruel sense of humor. His classmates laughed at him, and less than a day later, he found all of his belongings tossed out of his dormitory and onto the trashed streets he so wanted to help. An hour later, he found himself tossed out of the academy.

Less than a month later, Anankos would rain hell and brimstone down on Valla's population, killing over ten thousand the first day. The second, twenty thousand. The survivors were scattered, and those who were too poor or unlucky enough to escape or survive the initial attack were converted into Faceless. Involuntarily.

Not Iago though. After he was caught, he spent less than a day in the cell before swearing fealty to Anankos, and ever since, his belief that it was just survival, that anyone in his position would do it, became easier and easier to believe.

" _I-I'm sorry! Please don't kill me!"_ Iago begged. " _Have mercy! I meant no disrespect!"_

Anankos huffed, tired of Iago's behavior. " _AS MUCH AS MY DRACONIC BLOOD WISHES TO KILL YOU, I SHALL NOT. YOU ARE THE LAST KNOWN REMAINING MEMBER OF MY AVATARS, OF MY PEOPLE BESIDES THAT RHEOS WOMAN, AND SO I SHALL USE YOU TO EXACT REVENGE UPON MY ENEMIES. AT THE PRICE OF YOUR FREEDOM ONCE AGAIN, I CAN GRANT BOTH OF US THE OPPURTUNITY TO STRIKE DOWN THAT WHELPLING, CORRIN. ALL I REQUIRE OF YOU IS YOUR FREEDOM."_

" _M-my freedom?"_ Iago asked. " _I-I don't—"_

" _EXACTLY WHAT I SAID,"_ Anankos said, looking at Iago with one eye. " _I'VE TAKEN YOUR FREEDOM ONCE BEFORE, WHEN I CAPTURED YOU. BINDING OATHS AND FEALTIES ARE ONLY APPLICABLE IN LIFE, AND WITH YOUR DEATH AT THE HANDS OF THAT NOHRIAN PRINCE, YOUR OATHS DIED WITH YOU. SWEAR FEALTY TO ME AGAIN, AND I SHALL GRANT YOU THE POWER TO TORMENT CORRIN AS YOU SEE FIT. YOU WILL LIVE ONCE AGAIN, AS A HUMAN, AND NOT AS ONE OF MY AVATARS."_

Iago dropped to his knee once again without hesitation. " _I-I, Iago, solemnly swear my undying loyalty and allegiance towards you, Lord Anankos, and your causes from hereon forward,"_ he said, the words rolling effortlessly off his tongue _. "Shall I fail in my task, I understand that my life, as well as everything I own, will be forfeit and bound to you in blood, oath, and life."_

Why wouldn't he accept such an offer? He would receive the ability to make that naivete of a prince suffer, but most importantly, he would be able to live again! He had been robbed of his life by an unjust cause. In any case, there are many things much worse than death. Because of it, he didn't bother asking Anankos how he would punish him if he did fail, and tried to put the thought out of his mind entirely.

" _GOOD…"_ Anankos said quietly. " _BEFORE I REVIVE YOU AND PASS INTO THE VOID, THERE IS ONE LAST THING YOU MUST KEEP IN MIND."_

" _Milord?"_

" _THAT WHELP WILL UNDOUBTEDLY REMEMBER YOU AND YOUR VISAGE, ALONG WITH MANY OF HIS ALLIES. TO CIRCUMVENT THAT, I WILL…ARRANGE YOUR DISGUISE FOR YOU."_

Iago took a step backwards. " _W-wait, what? What do you mean 'arrange?'"_

Anankos' orange eyes flashed, and Iago dropped to the ground, screaming in pain, his hands cupped over his face as an acrid orange smoke drifted upwards. Anankos watched with malice in his eyes as he slowly faded away into nothingness.

" _REMEMBER MY LAST, TAMORA. AVENGE ME. TORMENT THAT WHELP LIKE HE TORTURED ME. KILL HIS MATE, THAT RHEOS WOMAN, AND ALL OF THEIR CHILDREN. FILL THEM AND ALL THEIR CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH TERROR. LET THEM KNOW…ANANKOS WILL RETURN."_

* * *

Corrin winced and raised a bloodied arm to cover his eyes as Anankos' floating eye orb pulsed and leered around at its surroundings grotesquely before disappearing in yet another bright flash of light. He readied his sword arm and gripped the hilt tighter as he stepped forward, determined to put down this version of Anankos before it could do anything.

Though he was still blinded, Corrin could still feel the rhythmic shaking of the ground under him as a Faceless charged toward him. Grunting, Corrin gripped Yato with both hands and swung it behind him. He felt the blade catch on something, and then a stinging liquid splashed onto his bare legs.

Hissing, Corrin dropped Yato and swatted at his legs. Already, an acrid smoke was starting to billow up from them and he risked opening his eyes to see the extent of the damage. He was glad he did.

The moment he opened his eyes, the light obscuring that floating eye orb died, revealing…nothing.

Not trusting the temporary lull, Corrin cursed and hastily scrambled to pick up where he dropped Yato. He pointed the blood-stained weapon at where Anankos' eye orb had been floating in midair a second ago and braced himself for another wave.

First Azura's mother, then Sumeragi, then Gunter, and then his own mother, Corrin could barely keep himself awake for the final fight, but he always managed to pull himself through Anankos' multiple forms, whether they were a masked dragon, a gargantuan unmasked dragon, a purple-flamed robed figure, or even that disturbing multi-eyed orb thing.

Corrin blinked, his red eyes redder than usual from sleep deprivation. He continued pointing Yato at where he had seen Anankos last, the tip shaking ever-so-slightly. It's got to be a trick. It _has_ to be a trick. There's no way Anankos would've died that quietly. No way.

Around him, the undead soldiers that had once consisted of the group of soldiers assigned to protect him hissed before wobbling and promptly dissipating into water with a sound that sounded like a relieved sigh.

Around him, what few men remained alive lowered their weapons, still wary but hopeful. Not Corrin though. He tightened his grip on Yato even more, his feet spreading themselves into a battle stance, but still, nothing happens.

"Is…is it over?" a sandy-haired archer next to Corrin asked.

"'Dunno Marvin," a Nohrian swordsman replied. "I don't know."

The sky overhead remained dark and the ground ruined, with bits and pieces of it here and there floating haphazardly into the sky, but still, nothing happens.

It was only until a muscle in his legs started to cramp than Corrin loosened his grip on Yato and collapsed to the ground, cursing in pain. As he massaged the part of his leg that was throbbing, his ears pricked up at the sound of bare feet making their way towards him. He looked up to see Azura gliding towards him, her dress torn and bloodied with large ugly bruises appearing in patches around her body.

The limp in her gait told Corrin that she was probably more injured than him, but when he raised his voice to call for a healer, Azura silenced him with a flying hug tackle. Corrin's eyes widened in surprise as Azura's arm wrapped themselves around him, and they fell back together onto the ruined ground.

He let out a muffled groan as he felt Azura's knee poke a particularly sensitive spot on his ribs where a Faceless smashed him with a club. He should've just dodged, but instead elected to stay and block the attack, receiving a broken rib for his troubles.

"Oh! Did I hurt you?" Azura asked, pulling herself away.

"N-no, not really," Corrin lied, gritting his teeth as they sat up together. He looked down slowly as Azura's hand clutched in his, and the two slowly looked back up at each other.

"Is…is it over?" he asked. "Did we beat Anankos? Did we do it?"

Azura gave a nod. "Yes. We did. We won, Corrin. We won."

In all the childhood stories Corrin had read, the moment their victory was assured, all the heroes would abruptly cheer, dropping their weapons and hugging each other in sheer relief. Not these ones. These heroes stand around in vague disbelief for a few seconds before collapsing o the ground in exhaustion.

The heroes in the story always celebrate with all their friends and allies still alive, everyone looking none the worse for wear. Again, not these ones.

Corrin's throat choked up as he cast his eyes about the ruined battlefield. Caeldori and Selena stared stone-faced at a once snow-white Pegasus and its rider. Corrin counted no less than five arrows sticking out of Subaki's chest, and the sky knight's eyes stared up into the stars, unmoving.

In the distance, he saw Xander cradle a woman in his arms. The distance was too great for him to see, but he thought it might've been Peri or Charlotte. Benny gritted his teeth as he tightened the makeshift bandage made out of his undershirt on the stump of his arm before stooping down and picking up a hand. His hand.

All this and more Corrin saw as he looked around the battlefield, and tears of sorrow and rage fell onto the ground beneath him as he looked away from the grisly sight.

Subaki. Kaden. Shura. Azama. Orochi. Reina. Scarlet. Beruka. Effie. Niles. All dead or gravely wounded.

"Hey," Azura said gently, placing a hand on his cheek and turning his face towards her. "It's…it's alright. You—"

"I know," Corrin interrupted, wiping his tears away on the back of his hand. "Just…give me a moment."

Azura waited quietly as corrin stared at their bodies, his lips moving in silent apologies. A few minutes passed while Azura watched Corrin, and she couldn't help but notice his hunched posture.

He might've been the bravest person she's ever known. Growing up in Nohr, isolated from everyone. Being forced to choose between Nohr, Hoshido, or her. Forced to fight horrors and terrors only told about in the darkest of horror stories Azura had read. All for her.

If it had been anyone else, Azura undoubtedly would've refused to open herself like that, but with Corrin…he was different.

"They signed up for this," Corrin said suddenly.

"Hm?" Azura asked. "What did you say?"

"I said I know they signed up for this," Corrin said. "I know. I…I just wish I didn't have to actually see it happen."

"I know," Azura said sadly, touching him on the shoulder. "But at least your siblings are still alive."

Corrin sniffed but finally found the courage to look around the battlefield again. Sure enough, most of his family seemed unhurt. Xander and Ryoma, whom he had been with in the thick of the battle, seemed relatively uninjured, though the desolate look in their eyes as they looked at their losses told Corrin more than they would be willing to say.

Leo dropped his head onto his horse's neck, who promptly collapses in exhaustion as well. Elise and Sakura lean on each other, both crying silent tears of relief, joy, sorrow, and exhaustion all rolled into one. Relief because the fight was over. Joy because they were still alive. And sorrow because of the loss of one of their retainers.

Hinoka fell from her Pegasus and would've fallen to her death but Camilla suddenly caught her midair, her lavender-colored hair cut and bloodied in several places. Takumi looked like he had the same thought train as Corrin about the sudden lull being a trap, and kept his arrow trained where Anankos had been. It was only until Oboro gingerly shook him that his eyes rolled into the back of his head and collapsed. But they're still alive.

"You're right," Corrin said, wiping his eyes. "At least they're still alive."

Ignoring the screaming pain in his bones and muscles, Corrin got to his feet, planting Yato's tip into the ground to help himself up. He held a hand out, and Azura stared blankly at it before accepting it.

As Corrin pulled Azura to her feet, she started to cry as well. "What's wrong?" Corrin asked.

"Nothing," Azura said, wiping her eyes. "It's…I don't know how to say this, but thank you."

"For what?" Corrin asked sluggishly.

"For helping me," Azura said, smiling. "I'm so glad I met you, that we managed to accomplish this. Together."

Corrin nodded. "Together."

He gazes at her, and she gazed back at him. He feels so drained, both physically and emotionally, he wanted to curl up and fall asleep and never wake up, but then a hand squeeze from Azura snaps him out of his thoughts.

"We should probably clean ourselves up," she said.

Corrin took another moment to look at Azura. He can't imagine being in her position, living in constant fear and apprehension about a threat only she knew about, and knowing that she was possibly the last of her people. He can't imagine the horrible experiences she had in her life, with the memory of Valla's fall burned indefinitely into her memories and her childhood abuse in Nohr and Hoshido.

"You're…the bravest one here," he croaked.

Azura frowned. "What?"

Corrin pointed a finger tiredly at her. "Living with knowledge of what was coming…being afraid no one would believe you…and…and being rejected by everyone…I can't believe how brave you are."

Azura smiled. "I could say the same for you," she replied simply.

Corrin reached out to touch her face, but Azura decided to one-up him by wrapping herself in his arms. His chest vibrated as Azura muttered some sort of prayer into him, and he thought he heard her mutter, "Mother, father. I did it _. We_ finally did it."

Corrin protectively stroked the back of her head, silently thanking the gods that she was still alive, that the war hadn't taken her as well, that her _song_ hadn't killed her.

But now was not the time for a breakdown. "Lilith?" he croaks into empty air. "Lilith, you there?"

With a small _pop_ and a flash of light, the little dragon appeared. He's never sure how she knows when someone is calling for her, but right now, he couldn't find himself to care. It's just a Lilith thing.

The little dragon bobbed up and down amicably as she looked around the battlefield, taking in the destruction and bodies strewn about. "You did it, then?" she asked, sadness tempering her voice for some reason.

Corrin shrugged. "As best as I can tell," he replies, pushing Lilith's odd shift in mood out of his mind. As much as he would like to see her alright, there were already wounded men crying out for help. Without the castle medical staff, he feared they wouldn't last another hour.

Lilith closed her eyes. "I…I don't feel his presence anymore. I think you might've done it."

"Hm…" Corrin said. "Can you take us back to the castle yet, or is Anankos' curse still in effect?"

"I don't think so," Lilith said. "If I was able to create a portal here, it probably means the curse is broken."

"I see," Corrin says simply. A flash of light in the corner of his vision causes his head to turn and he watches as a small orb of light rose up from where Castle Gyges had stood.

Lilith and Corrin both watched it with interest until it suddenly vanished. "What was that?" Corrin asked.

"…I don't know," she replied truthfully. "It might've been Anankos' soul finally departing for the Gray Realm."

"So you know about it too?" Corrin asked.

Lilith gazed at him nervously. "W-what do you mean?" she asked. "Do you—"

"Never mind," Corrin said, waving his hand. In his arms, he could feel Azura fall limp as she drifted off into a natural sleep. "Just take us back to the castle. Please."

Swallowing her questions for later, Lilith created another flash of light on the battlefield. "Of course, Lord Corrin."

* * *

Lilith effortlessly teleports the entire army to the castle's grand hall. Once upon a time, such a feat would've been difficult, if not impossible. With nearly 10,000 men making up the combined Hoshidan-Nohrian army, it would've been difficult to fit all of them even into the castle, and so the two armies had camped on opposite sides of The Bottomless Canyon for over half a year until preparations for the invasion were complete.

Now, with barely over 300 people still alive, fitting everyone into the hall was ridiculously easy, though Corrin would've preferred it to remain difficult. For obvious reasons.

A mass of sweaty bodies, animals, and weapons dropped noisily to the floor. Immediately, the castle staff set about helping those nearest to them. Already, the wives of the soldiers who had stayed behind were echoing noisily through the hall as they found their spouses absent.

Jakob immediately heads off into the kitchen while Flora and Felicia stay in the main hall to help, Flora collecting weapons and armor and Felicia finding bedding for everyone. Lilith drifts idly Above everyone, creating supplies as needed, but more-or-less keeping to herself.

Corrin let Yato fall to the ground as he placed Azura's sleeping body onto a nearby sleeping pad. He would clean his armor and his weapon later, but for now, there were other things to be done that didn't require a sword. He tried to help Jakob and Flora distribute bandages, but the maid simply forced a wad of clean clothing into his hand, and told him to change.

"Felicia and I have taken the liberty of cleaning both your study and treehouse while you were away," she said without skipping a beat. "You may use those as you see fit."

Corrin's eyes widened. "Please don't tell me you touched the 'personal' drawer," Corrin rasped.

Flora smiled. "Don't worry. Felicia and I will never tell anyone about your fascination with mirrors and reflections."

"It's the dragon in me," he grumbled as he stumbled away, making a mental note to give his three servants a hefty raise later that week. "I can't help but get caught up in my own reflections."

At the door leading the courtyard outside the grand hall, Corrin looked back. Azura had disappeared from her bed roll, which Corrin knew he should be concerned about, but with how tired he was, he couldn't find himself caring about anything besides rest.

Already, Sakura and Elise had managed to set up a healing station, despite their exhaustion, and were directing anyone with even the slightest bit of healing experience. The wounded who can't move at all were carried by their friends and made a priority.

Charges for the staves and healing rods are preserved as everyone passes around elixirs, ripping off pieces of clothing and tying them around wounds that don't need magic to be healed. He was about the leave for the bathhouse before he felt a burning pain in his chest, and he collapsed to the floor, coughing blood onto the tiles.

Instantly, Felicia was by his side. "You didn't visit the healers yet?" she asked, already pulling out a healing rod from somewhere in her uniform.

"I…I thought everyone else's wounds looked more serious," he said weakly. "And besides, we don't have a lot of healing items to spare."

"Lord Corrin!" she said, shocked. "You have _four_ broken ribs, internal bleeding, and a dislocated arm! How can you think you got off easy?"

Corrin was too tired to do much than lie there and listen to Felicia's chatter as she worked on him, peeling off his armor for collection later. Finally done, she carefully helped Corrin to his feet. "You really ought to be more careful!" she reminded him. "Just because the war is over doesn't mean you can't be killed by something as simple as an infection!"

"I'll keep that in mind," he groaned as he made his way to the bathhouse. Thankfully, with everyone in the great hall, he more or less had the entire building to himself, and when he was done, he tiredly climbed the ladder to the treehouse before simply electing to drop face-first onto his bed.

He had barely managed to close his eyes before a trio of knocks sounded at his door. Repressing a huff at being kept from his rest, he got up and made his way to the door.

To his surprise, it was Azura, clad in nothing more than a simple sleeping gown, who stood on the other side. "Azura?" he asked. "W-what're you—"

"I-I was wondering…may I spend the night?" she asked, refusing to look at him but blushing all the same.

Corrin blinked slowly. "With me?"

"…Yes."

Corrin shrugged, too tired to care or try and understand her reasoning. "Go ahead."

He collapsed face-first onto his bed again, but his eyes shot open again as he felt a warm body press against him.

"Azura?" he murmurs questioningly. Not that he was surprised by her boldness—he was—but after everything, did she really want to continue this with him?"

Though she remained quiet, he could feel the embarrassment rolling off of her. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "It's just…I'm tired, you're warm, and I—"

"Hey, it's okay," he said, shifting his body so that they were chest to chest. He looked into her golden eyes and stroked her head soothingly. "I get it."

And he does. He knows the feeling of wanting someone you trust around after a particularly stressful battle, and that final bout with Anankos had been everything, _including_ stressful.

"I'm really glad you're still alive," he murmured.

Azura smiled. "Me too," she says, before closing her eyes.

Corrin continued gazing at her. Here he was, lying in bed with the woman he loves. The woman that also happens to be his cousin.

"Azura? Can we talk?"

Instantly, she opened her eyes and looked at him. "What's wrong?"

Corrin sighed and turned so that he was looking up at the ceiling. He put his arms under his head as he sucked on his lips, thinking what the best way to broach the subject was before finally giving up and settling on straightforwardness.

"I want to talk…about us."

Azura propped herself on her elbows. If she kept laying down next to Corrin's warm body, she knew she would fall asleep, but based on the seriousness of Corrin's tone, she knew she could afford to sacrifice rest. At least for a little bit.

"What about us?"

Corrin sighed again but continued to stare at the ceiling. "You know, _us_. I…I…hm, how do I put this?" He turned his head so he was looking directly into Azura's eyes,

"Do you really want to do this with me?"

"Of course," was Azura's immediate answer. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because we're cousins," Corrin reminded. "I know we talked about this before, in Valla—"

Azura's eyes widened in horror and Corrin instantly clapped his hand over his mouth. A tense moment passed, and when Azura carefully reached out to touch Corrin's bare chest, to make sure he was still there and not a figment of her imagination, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, at least we know the curse is broken," she said.

Corrin also released a sigh of relief. "Yeah," he agreed. "Imagine going through all that only to be killed by a curse cast almost forty years ago."

"You have to be careful, Corrin!" Azura said sharply. "Did you ever think about how I would feel if you suddenly died because of a stupid mistake?"

"Of course I did," Corrin replied, equally sharp. "Did you ever think about telling me about our relationship?"

Instantly, he knew he had hurt her. Azura flinched and averted her gaze, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and looking at the floor. Corrin winced and tried to sit up, but was forced back onto his back when Azura placed a palm flat against his chest.

"I told you outside the castle throne room, and I'll tell you again," Azura said coldly. "I knew Mikoto had a relationship with my mother and that she was of Vallite blood, but I never knew she was my mother's sisters."

Here, Azura's composure started to break. "But if you don't want me because we're related by blood…I understand."

Corrin's eyes widened, and he reached out towards her but was spurned when she leaned away from him. "Azura…"

"I know you hate my habit of keeping secrets," she said softly, "but you have to understand, there are just…some things I can't tell you. I…"

Azura closed her eyes. Perhaps it would be better if they parted. She always knew the chances of seeing this war through to the end alive was very small, but she could also never say no to him. For both of their sakes, she could love him afar.

But when she opened her eyes again and chanced a glance at Corrin's eyes, she could see just how hurt, confused, and lost he was. Unable to lie to both him and herself anymore, she allowed her heart to overflow like it had never done before, letting the words spill from her lips like a river in a flood.

"I know it's wrong, and that this kind of relationship is looked down upon, but I…I just can't! I just can't!"

"Can't what?" Corrin asked softly.

"I can't let go of you!" Tears were now threatening to spill down her face. "All my life, I've asked questions about who I was, what I should do, what I _could_ do, but never once have I ever asked myself about my love for you! I believe that you and I are tied together by fate, and that fate wanted us to meet. I _know_ that I've always loved you, and I always will, but…but I could never do anything to you that you didn't want to do."

She would've said more, wanted to say more, _could've_ said more, but Corrin suddenly pressed his lips against hers. This time, fully.

He begged for entrance, and she granted it at once, weaving her fingers in his hair and breathing in his familiar scent. He gently ran his fingers down to her waist, and she arched her back to his touch. They fell back onto the bed, Azura on top of Corrin, and when they parted, their lips were almost as red as Corrin's eyes.

"Then…then stay with me," Corrin whispered. "I know this kind of relationship is looked down upon, but I would have no one else other than you standing by me when I face this issue. I'm…definitely confused about this whole thing, but you being my cousin changes nothing for me."

Azura cradled his head in her hands, leaving no space between them as he continued. "I'm sorry I made you feel this way," he apologized, "but you have to realize, I was…well, you have to realize that I never _stopped_ loving you. From the very first moment I saw you by that lake, I knew we were destined to be together. Finding out that we were cousins just…shook things up for me a little bit, but in the end, it changes nothing. I love you more than anything else, and nothing is going to change that."

Azura felt herself choke up as Corrin cupped her cheeks in his hands. "And besides, didn't you say nobility always arranged marriages between cousins to keep the bloodline pure?"

" _Now_ you listen to that?" she asked, trying to not cry again.

"Who cares about us being related by blood?" Corrin asked. "We're only related on the human side, not the dragon side! If you could fall in love with someone like me, I'm pretty sure I can get through this too. But only if you stand by me," he added with that boyish love she had always loved.

How could she not accept a calling card like that? She leaned down and gently pressed her lips against his, feeling his pounding heart under her palm. If there truly was a heaven and a hell, then the only heaven would be this, in his arms, and the only hell would be one without him.

When they parted again, his smile fell away from his face as one of Azura's tears fell onto his cheek. "Please don't cry, Azura," he pleaded.

She smiled happily, allowing the tears to overflow again. "It's not because I'm sad!" she confessed. "I'm crying because…because I'm so glad to have met you."

"And I, you," Corrin said, smiling back.

He was warm underneath her, his very existence lighting a fire in places fires were not meant to be lit, but right now, she didn't even care. "So we're doing this."

"We are," Corrin replied, pulling her down.

"And you're not upset about us being related."

"Only if you decide to leave my side," came the reply she was hoping for.

"You know people will talk."

"Only if they don't that I'm half-dragon" he said playfully.

"That's terrible!" she said, finally breaking in and playfully slapping his chest. "We just got through a war with a dragon! We—I don't need another one!"

Corrin laughed as well as he wrapped his arms around her. "Don't worry. I'll never do that to you."

Stifling her giggles, Azura pressed her lips to his cheek before finally resting her head on his chest, over his heart, as if nothing had ever changed between them.

Nothing ever will.

* * *

A/N: And _that,_ Reki Kawahara is how you properly create a romance scene (jk, he's a professional writer, and despite his "poor" works that I also happen to enjoy, he still has more experience than me in this). Again, PM me or leave a review stating what you want to see in Arc 4 and I'll get to it. Eventually.

Also, I wanted to keep Iago in because a) I need a good villain with a memorable backstory for later (thanks, The Apocryphal One,), and b) I need a villain that has prior beef with Corrin to keep Arc 5 going (muwahaha :D).


	29. Chapter 29

A/N: So some of you were surprised or upset that I had named characters die in the last chapter, and some of you were confused about that beginning bit. Let me spell it out for you. A) I had people die because...well, it's war. Not everyone makes it back. Trust me, personal experience. B) Yes, Guest (you know who you are), you were right, but trust me, plot-wise, that arc probably won't ever appear again in the near future. Besides that, I can't tell you anything else. Also, some people were annoyed at my use of the word "socialism." I fixed that. You're welcome. Also also, some of you might notice I used some names and quotes from The Apocryphal One's work, Fire Emblem Fates: Aftermath. Go check it out. #notsponsored.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of its characters.

List of works I "stole" from (with permission):

s/12010853/2/Fire-Emblem-Fates-Aftermath

* * *

" _The Invisible War could refer to either the military operation or the larger, grander event encompassing the Barrier War. For more information on the Invisible War as a whole, please turn to Page 609._

 _The Invisible War was a military operation led by_ _ **Prince Corrin Rheos**_ _,_ _ **Prince Xander Aurelius,**_ _and_ _ **Prince Ryoma Minamoto**_ _against the forces of Valla led by_ _ **Anankos**_ _. Together, the Three Princes led an army numbering at least 100,000 men and marched into Valla to face Anankos and his undead minions head-on._

 _What followed was one of the deadliest military conflict, third only to the entirety of The Barrier War and First War in terms of casualties. Out of the original 100,000 men, only 300 returned alive. Despite Hoshido and Nohr eventually achieving victory against Vallite forces and ushering in a new era of peace, the number of men lost took a drastic toll on the world's populations, especially in Nohr where childbirth rates were still at an all-time low._

 _Historians argue whether or not the genocide of The Decimation should be considered as part of the death count, since all those who died as a result of The Decimation returned as Anankos' undead footsoldiers, but others argue that since those civilians were killed long before The Invisible War, they should not count._

 _For simplicities sake, in this rendition, we will simply assume that the undead civilian soldiers do not count, as they were already deceased when The Invisible War occurred."_

* * *

" _Welcome back Corrin. Well done."_

Corrin slowly opened his eyes to see Anankos sitting in front of him, the campfire as always, sitting between them. When Anankos gestured towards the ground, Corrin sat cross-legged, mirroring Anankos' own stance. The two of them stared into the depths of the fire, and after what felt like several minutes, he noticed that something about the fire was…off.

While the flame burned as brightly as ever, it seemed…smaller somehow, as if it was fading away.

They spent another few moments staring at the fire before Corrin shifted his leg to prevent it from falling asleep. The simple motion caused Anankos to look up.

" _So, you finished me off,"_ he said simply.

Corrin nodded silently, still staring deep into the depths of the fire.

" _Do you know why you're here?"_

" _No."_

Anankos sighed and rested his hand on his knee as he gazed forlornly into the fire. " _You know, since you killed my other self, my physical self, this is the last time you'll be able to visit me in the Gray Planes, right?_

"… _and?"_

" _The only other way was if you decided to travel to the Gray Realms, and quite frankly, I hope you're not planning on making that trip within the next sixty or so years."_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _You're…a good man, Corrin. You're a good man, and I'm sure you'll be a good husband and father one day. I want to see you live that life. The life of a husband. The life of a father. Do you understand?"_

Corrin tried to hide his blush but was unable to contain the redness from spreading beyond his ears. " _Yes. And thank you."_

Anankos pursed his lips and looked away, gazing into the foggy distance. " _Do you remember what I was going to tell you before the other me interrupted our conversation?"_

" _You were trying to tell me something?"_

Anankos shook his head. " _Of course. I wouldn't expect you to remember, considering that you had…other matters on your mind, but yes. Before I forcefully ejected you from here, we were set upon my Anankos' forces, hoping to finish off the last vestiges of his sanity. Do you remember that at least?"_

" _I do,"_ Corrin replied. " _I…I also remembered you sacrificing yourself for me."_

" _Well, it's not much of a sacrifice if I'm still alive, is it?"_ Anankos said lightly, though his expression quickly fell. " _Not…that it matters, since I'll probably be dead soon."_

Corrin looked up to say something, but thought better of it and instead elected to lower his gaze to the fire again. " _I'm sorry."_

" _Don't be,"_ Anankos said reassuringly. " _The moment I regained my memories after having you with your mother, I knew that…even as it was your fate to put down my other self one day, it was my fate to die guiding you there."_

Corrin looked up again, this time in surprise. " _What did you say? You had_ what _with my mother?"_

Anankos' breath quickly withdrew itself. " _Ah. I…was hoping you wouldn't hear that."_

Corrin got to his feet, his hand already moving down to his waist, though he knew he would find nothing there. " _What did you do with my mother?"_

Anankos winced and rose his hands placatingly. " _Whoa there!"_ he said, also slowly getting his feet. " _Let's not get hasty."_

Corrin furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at Anankos. " _Tell me,"_ he ordered. " _Tell me what you did with my mother."_

" _I didn't do anything bad or harmful to her!"_ Anankos said, inching forward towards Corrin. " _Just…let me ask one question. Please?"_

Corrin's gaze was the answer he gave.

Anankos sighed and lowered his hands to his sides. " _What do you feel…about your father? And what do you feel about me, both the insane one and the one standing in front of you?"_

Corrin was surprised enough to loosen his posture. " _My father? Sumeragi? Or Garon?"_

" _Either one."_

Corrin frowned in concentration. " _Well, I think anyone who knows me well enough knows how I feel about Garon. He's ruthless, immoral, unjust. But he was possessed by you at the time, so I guess that explains why he acted the way he did. Sumeragi…quite frankly, I don't know enough about him for me to even consider him as a father. I remember him trying to protect me from Garon, and my mother spoke fondly about him during my time in Hoshido, but beyond that…nothing. I don't know anything about him."_

" _And what about me?"_

Here, Corrin's lip curled themselves into an unhappy frown as he tried to think of the best way to tell how he thought about Anankos without offending him. Quite frankly, there was such a _large_ gap between the two, he might as well consider them two separate people, but at the same time…

" _I don't know,"_ Corrin said truthfully. " _On one hand, I hated your other self. I hated him because he was the one responsible for causing so much pain, for taking away so many innocent lives. As bad as Garon might've been, when I think of the other Anankos, I can just see Garon's morals, if you can call those morals, plastered onto him, except amplified by a hundred times."_

" _I see,"_ Anankos said.

" _But…"_ Corrin added after a lengthy pause, " _I also feel…sorry for him."_

" _How so?"_ Anankos asked.

" _Well, I mean, I remember watching him thrash about during the fight, and during those bouts, he would constantly ask why we had betrayed him, why_ humanity _had betrayed him. I guess if I was in a similar position, where you were treated as an outcast by the very people you helped…I probably would've gone mad too."_

" _I see,"_ Anankos said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. " _What about me then?"_

Corrin chuckled humorlessly. " _Well, I feel sorry for you too, being forced to spend the rest of your life here and being unable to do anything besides giving me advice on how to beat your other self. It's not enough to make me completely forgive your other half…but it's enough for me to see that you…were a good man. Once."_

" _But you don't hate me at all? No desire to see me gone from your life?"_

" _I…don't know,"_ Corrin replied. " _I mean, I'll definitely remember you, and while I have no desire to see you gone form my life, I…also don't want you in it either. I know it's not your fault, but you've caused so much harm that it's just sort of hard to forgive you all at once, you know?"_

Anankos relaxed and sat back down next to the fire. " _I see,"_ he said again. " _Well, I'm sure your real father, whoever he is, would be proud to see you right now. Not just physically, but everything you've done as well. You're barely past the age of twenty-three, and already, you've managed to save the world, bring peace to Valla, Hoshido, and, and most impressively, bring down a mad god."_

" _Not without sacrificing some of my friends,"_ Corrin said bitterly, remembering the glassy stares hazing back at him from Subaki, Shura, and all the others who died. " _We…we lost a lot of people, during the invasion. Ten-thousand, not including my elite guard, followed me down here and now, barely more than a couple hundred are left."_

" _Well, as much as I hate to say it, that's just war,"_ Anankos said sadly. " _Not everyone makes it back. But they'll be remembered. I promise."_

" _I know,"_ Corrin sighed. " _I…I just wished they could've seen it through to the end."_

Anankos nodded thoughtfully. " _I feel the same way."_

The two dragons looked around awkwardly before Corrin sat back down. " _Sorry about my outburst,"_ he apologized. " _I…I'm not the biggest fan of people keeping secrets from me. But why do you ask? I still want to hear what you did to my mother."_

" _Nothing bad, I promise,"_ Anankos said, shifting uneasily. " _But…what you're about to hear might be a tad…overwhelming."_

" _Try me,"_ Corrin countered. " _In the span of less than half a week, I helped Azura kill her mother, and then I actually killed my mother and father, and then I put down a dragon god. If I can do all those things in less than half a week, I think I can handle what you're about to through at me."_

Anankos tightened his grip on his robes. " _Very well then. Prepare yourself…"_

Corrin's eyebrows rose in interest and confusion as Anankos reached up with his hands to pull his hood back. As the cloth fell away, he couldn't see what Anankos was hoping to accomplish until he looked into his eyes.

He gasped.

Anankos' eyes were the same shade as Corrin's, only much, much sadder and wiser looking. As his eyes drifted towards others features of Anankos' face, Corrin felt a strange bundle of…joy? Horror? Disgust? Confusion? Whatever it was, it was spreading throughout his body.

Save for the long blue hair and red gem set into his forehead, the man standing before Corrin could've been his twin. Same jawline, same high cheek-bones, same jutting chin. In fact, the face Corrin stared at was the same face he looked at in the mirror, save for the mentioned differences.

Corrin scarcely managed to run his eyes over Anankos' features again before he pulled his hood over his head, shrouding his face in shadow once again.

" _Now do you see?"_ Anankos asked. " _The reason why I asked those questions about your father and how you felt about them and me was because…I am your father."_

Corrin staggered backwards, his head swimming. He blinked rapidly, and his hands involuntarily clenched themselves into fists as he pressed them against his head. His breath started to come short, and some distant part of his brain informed him that he was starting to hyperventilate.

 _Anankos was—no—is my father?_

Some small part of him wasn't that surprised. He noticed—he tried not to but he still noticed—the semblance between Anankos' true form and his own. The rough shape of the head, the curve of the neck, the horse-like body and legs, the large chest and narrow hindquarters, the five-digited, almost finger-like claws. He had noticed _all_ of that but brushed it off, told himself that he had been in the middle of a battle, that now was not the same to focus on such trivial details, but he still noticed.

He told himself that Anankos' insane form despised humans too much to ever consider mating with one and that similarities were to be expected. Anankos was one of the First Dragons, and Corrin just so happened to have a healthy dosage of First Dragons' blood coursing through his veins, so why shouldn't there be a resemblance?

 _But if Anankos is one of the First Dragons, and I have the blood of the First Dragons, then that means—no. It can't be._

" _It can't be,"_ Corrin repeated. " _There's no way. Anankos—your other half_ hated _humans. There's no way he would've ever considered marrying one, much less mate with her to produce a child!"_

" _I never said it was he who married your mother and loved her like nothing else,"_ Anankos said sadly. " _I never said that that_ I _hated humans."_

" _Calm down, Corrin,"_ Anankos said, reaching out to put a reassuring hand on Corrin's shoulder as he started to hyperventilate again. " _I know this is a big shock to you, but you need to get a hold of yourself?"_

" _Calm down?"_ Corrin asked, chucking mirthlessly. " _How can I relax knowing that my father was the one responsible for the deaths of all those people? The one responsible for killing not just Azura's parents, but also mine and turning them into servants just so you can throw them away at me, hoping it would traumatize me?"_

" _Corrin—"_

" _And what about my mother?"_ Corrin continued. " _Did you force yourself on her?"_

" _Oh gods, no!"_ Anankos stammered, tightening his grip on Corrin's shoulder. " _Say what you want about my other self, but this part? The one standing in front of you, the part of the soul I ripped out during one of my fits of madness? That's the part who married her! I'm the one who loved her and you, her son! I was the one who, when I saw a choice between regaining my sanity at the cost of her life or saving her at the cost of dying, never being able to regain full control of myself, I chose to save her. I chose to save_ you! _You have to understand, I_ loved _her, Corrin. I loved her almost as much as I love you!"_

When Corrin remained silent, opening and closing his mouth as he shook his head in disbelief, Anankos tightened his grip further. " _Please, Corrin, hate me for the rest of your life if you must, but please, while I'm here, in my final moments on this world, please let me tell you what I've been waiting nigh-on twenty-three years to say!_ Please."

Corrin blinked and shook his head in disbelief. " _You're my father?"_ he mouthed. " _I-I—why are you here? Why are you here and not—"_

" _And not dead?"_ Anankos finished. He sighed and shook his head. " _In short, I was selfish. Truthfully, I died a long time ago, during Valla's fall. Remember when I told about how I was to be imprisoned here, in the Gray Planes, until the world has been purified of my sins?"_

Corrin nodded.

" _In truth, The Gray Planes can also be a…purgatory of sorts. A place for wandering souls to wait in until they finally meet someone. When I died, I wanted nothing more than to see you again. Me being imprisoned here was just a happy coincidence. When I died, I saw how you would later cure my insanity, and I hoped…I hoped that I would be able to see you one last time before I died a true death, so I stayed."_

" _So you stayed,"_ Corrin echoed. " _Is Mother here too, then?"_

Anankos shook his head. " _Unfortunately, I was the one who escorted her to the Gray Realms. She had to move on immediately, or else my other half would try to resurrect and use her again as a pawn. I couldn't let that happen. And besides, she's already said her piece. It's my turn to say mine."_

" _What did you want to say?"_

Tears threatened to spill down Anankos face as he released Corrin. " _Honestly, I don't even remember. Isn't it funny how I spent almost two decades' worth of time here, preparing for this moment, and now that the moment has come, I…just can't remember. I…wanted to say a few things before I passed on. Can you at least listen to my words? And pass them to Lilith as well?"_

" _Why Lilith?"_ Corrin asked.

" _There's just not enough time,"_ Anankos said, looking back the small campfire. " _I wish I could explain, but there's just not enough time._

As Corrin glanced at the campfire, he noticed that the flame was almost dying, flickering between bouts of just heated air and orange ashes floating gently through the air.

" _I just wanted to tell you and Lilith that…I'm proud. Proud of everything you've become, and proud for Lilith because of everything she's done. Saving you the first time you almost fell in The Bottomless Canyon, for beseeching the Astral Dragons and giving you and your friends a place to call home in the Astral Planes. I never wanted any of this to happen. I was helpless, powerless against my baser instincts, so you can't imagine how relieved I am to see you two free of my burden."_

Corrin listens on in silence as Anankos continues, his voice choking. " _I'm so proud of you both. Don't think it was mere fate or luck that you won against me, because during my time here, I was graced with three, final visions. I saw a possibility where you chose Hoshido over Nohr, or Nohr over Hoshido."_

Corrin nodded, his memory flashing back to that awful day.

" _And finally, I saw one where…you failed, where I reigned supreme and used your corpses as vanguards in my invasion on the rest of the world, and eventually, other worlds. Do you see? Do you understand? Your fate wasn't sealed. You made your own fate, and you're continuing to do so. Word's can't express how…how proud that makes me feel."_

" _Anankos…"_

Anankos pulled out a large, blue dragonstone from his robes, the same one what Corrin felt like he had seen so long ago. Unlike before, the dragonstone had taken on a much duller sheen, and the ethereal power Corrin had once felt seemed much, much weaker than before.

" _This is my last dragonstone,"_ Anankos explained. " _I'm sure you've seen it before. It's the same one the Rainbow Sage and I used to create Azura's pendant and your own dragonstone. I just wanted to see you and tell you what I felt about you one last time before I shattered it."_

" _Shatter it?"_ Corrin asked. " _How—"_

" _As you know, a dragonstone contains the source of a dragon's power,"_ Anankos explained. " _Since you're only half-dragon, losing or breaking it isn't going to affect you as much as it would a full-dragon, but since I am a full-dragon, and a First Dragon at that, shattering my dragon stone would have much more…extreme consequences."_

" _I don't—"_

Anankos suddenly took his hand in his own and looked him in the eyes, his red eyes gleaming from underneath the hood. " _Corrin, you must shatter it. Only by doing so will I be able to pass on peacefully. Please."_

" _H-how do I do that?"_ Corrin asked, shaken.

" _Simply place your hand on the dragonstone and I'll do the rest,"_ Anankos said.

Corrin did as he was told, and almost automatically, his eyes slid shut as he felt that same ethereal power flow through his body. His eyes shot open, however, when he felt Anankos' hand rest on top of his own and the dragonstone shattered, leaving bloody streaks across his hand from the slivers of stone. As he watched, the blue slivers turned gray and dull, akin to granite.

As Corrin pressed his wounded arm against his stomach, trying to staunch the bleeding, Anankos turned away. Pushing past the pain, Corrin looked up Anankos and—wait—is he _fading_ away?"

" _Anankos?"_ Corrin called. " _What's happening to you?"_

Anankos smiled back at him, a smile that caused a strange jumble of emotions to well up within Corrin. " _I think it's time for you to move on…son, and for me to move on as well. I'm so glad I finally got the chance to talk to you, and…and it's time you focused on yourself and your own happiness."_

Around him, the gray fog was thickening, turning white and wrapping themselves around Corrin. He struggled to reach out towards Anankos. Some emotion—close to panic and longing and sadness and just the desire to see his father's face _one_ last time—engulfed Corrin as he called out, " _Anankos! Father!"_

That makes him stop short and he turned to see Corrin reaching out towards him struggling against the tendrils of dog threatening to engulf him.

" _Father!"_

Corrin swallowed, nervous. The knot and jumble of emotions in his chest just kept growing tighter and tighter. He doesn't know what to say. He doesn't know _how_ to say it. All he knows is that he had to convey all the feelings of hurt, confusion, and fear he felt when Anankos confessed his last secret to him. How he's still in disbelief. About how he's still struggling to accept that, and how, maybe now, after everything he's told him…how he might be able to.

" _Thank you,"_ he whispered. " _For everything. I…I know what happened wasn't your fault…and I forgive you. For…for everything."_

This time, tears flowed unchecked from Anankos' face as he turned and wrapped Corrin in a hug. Corrin immediately threw his arms around his father and closed his eyes as he breathed in his father's musky firewood scent, well aware that this will be the last time he'll ever be able to smell it again.

When they pull apart, there's a tearful smile on Anankos' lips and his eyes are wet. " _That's…the greatest gift you could've ever given to me."_

As all sight and sound evaporate, the last thing Corrin feels is Anankos' hands resting on his shoulder, and the last thing he sees is Anankos smiling, his red eyes and face visible for once from under his hood.

" _Live a happy life, Corrin. You, Lilith, and Azura. That's all a father wants for his family."_

* * *

Azura moaned sleepily as she nuzzled Corrin's chest, his heartbeat a constant and soothing drone in her ear. She snuggled closer to him as she felt his hand rest on her waist, pulling her even closer to his warmth, before her eyes suddenly snapped open.

"Corrin!"

In an instant, he was awake, and bolted upright, slamming her in the forehead, causing her to fall out of the bed and onto the floor where the damage became much more evident. Blood stained the lower half of Corrin's bedsheets, where his hand rested, and as Azura got to her feet, she became aware of a sticky liquid clinging to her backside. She twisted around to see the damage and was shocked at the sheer amount of blood staining her skin and clothing.

"Corrin!" she shouted again. "Are you alright?"

Corrin was already at his desk, wrapping a bandage around his wounded hand in nothing but his sleeping clothes. "I'm fine," he replied, shooting a concerned glance over his shoulder at her. "You?"

Azura made a face of disgust as she pulled away a patch of blood-stained clothing sticking to her skin. "I'm…going to go change."

"Yeah, that sounds reasonable," Corrin deadpanned.

Azura sprinted out the treehouse, but before she did, she planted a quick kiss on Corrin's cheek as he finished applying the bandage. "Good morning," she whispered. And then she was out the door.

Corrin stared after her for a good minute or so before shaking himself. He still had to clean the bloodstains on the bedsheets, as well as clean himself up. He took a moment to stare at his bandaged hand.

"Could that have really been a dream?" he said to himself, "or is…Anankos actually my father?"

[…]

Fifteen minutes later, Azura returned, clad in her normal attire. Corrin looked up from where he was helping Jakob move the bed and was relieved when the butler excused himself, giving a curt "excuse me" to Azura on the way out.

As she slid into the room, she gave Corrin a wary once-over. He raised his bandaged hand as if to say, "Look, I promise my hand isn't going spontaneously combust and spurt blood all over the place." Satisfied, Azura took a seat next to Corrin on the bed and laid her head on his shoulder, taking his hands in her own, though she was careful not to put too much pressure his bandaged hand.

"What happened?" Azura asked, giving him a quizzical look.

Corrin chewed the inside of his lips, an action he only does when there's something he wants to tell her but isn't sure how to tell her. She placed a hand on his cheek and turned it towards her.

"Come on," she said gently. "We just had one of these talks yesterday. If we're having one of these again so soon, then—"

"It's not about you," Corrin blurted. "It's…it's actually about me. And Anankos."

"Anankos?" Azura's eyebrow could've jumped off her face. "What about him?"

"How…what do you feel about him?"

Azura takes a moment to rise and gaze out the treehouse window. Already, some of the men were stumbling out of the great hall, their eyes blinking slowly as they tried to adjust to the sudden light from within the darkened hall.

"How do I feel about him?" she echoed. "I feel…I feel…sorry for him."

"Sorry?"

"I mean, I hate and fear him as much as you do, but you have to think about all the hardships he went through. Having his own kingdom turn against him, finding out that he murdered his own best friend, and even having to deal with the knowledge that he was the last of his kind. It's no surprise he went insane. It's…sad, in a way."

She turned away from the window and sat next to Corrin. "Why do you ask?"

Corrin looked away from her and began fiddling with the blue dragonstone hung around his neck. "I…I met Anankos. While I was…I guess I was dreaming, or wandering, or something. I'm not really sure, but I met Anankos. And we talked."

"What did you two talk about?" Azura asked warily, eyes flicking between Corrin's face and the dragonstone he held in his fingers.

"We…sort of talked about my father. And, well, are you _sure_ what you said about Anankos was true? That you felt sorry for him but you didn't necessarily just hate or fear him?"

"Yes…" Azura said. "But what does that have to do with anything. Get on with it."

Corrin pursed his lips. _This is it. Moment of truth._

"Anankos told me that…he…was my father."

Azura's eyes widen in shock, but she says nothing, trusting Corrin to explain. And he does, giving her the abbreviated version of what Anankos told him in the Gray Planes.

"Wait, so what you're telling me is that Anankos ripped out his soul, and that part of his soul was the one who met your mother, married her, and eventually had you?"

Corrin nodded.

"And you two talked…in the Gray Planes…"

Another nod.

"Which is a part of multitude of planes of existence."

A third nod.

"And he asked you to kill him by shattering his dragonstone."

A fourth nod.

"Which is why your hand was bleeding this morning."

"That's basically it."

Azura shook her head in disbelief. "I-I can't believe this."

But Corrin wasn't done yet. He spent another fifteen minutes telling her of Anankos' story and when he's done, Azura quickly rises from the bed, causing Corrin's heart to lurch. For a split second, he though Azura was going to leave and he felt his heart stop, but then she took Corrin's face in her hands, bent down, and passionately kissed him on the lips.

Corrin was too surprised at first to return the fervor she had given him, but before he would reciprocate the action, she pulled away, her face slightly flushed. She settled herself on his lap so they were eye-level and she gazed into his eyes, red mixing with gold beautifully. She raised a hand to gently caress his cheek and he leans into it, closing his eyes.

"And?" she says.

Corrin's eyes shot open. "What do you mean 'and?' I just told you that I'm the son of…of that thing! How can you—"

"How can I still love you?" she finished. "It's easy. Whoever your father was, whether he was human or dragon, sane or insane, it doesn't matter to me. The identity of your father doesn't change who _you_ are, and you're the kindest, gentlest, most wonderful man I've ever had the pleasure of meeting and falling in love with. You were the one who reached out to both me and my heart, something no one has ever managed to do before, and you were the one who unlocked both of them. I love you _because_ of those nothings, not because of who your father was! Your father could've been a wild boar for I care, but so long as you're _you_ , I could never think less of you, nor could I ever stop loving you."

Corrin let out a shaky breath as he wrapped his hands around her waist, bringing her close to his chest. "Thank you," he said, and in those two words, Azura could feel what felt like over a ton of fear, uncertainty, and nervousness seep away.

She smiled and pecked him on the cheek. "Of course," she said. "We balance each other out, you know. Usually, it's the optimistic you comforting the pessimistic me, but if I can't comfort you when you're feeling down, what kind of relationship is this?"

Corrin laughed, hugging her even closer to him and burying his face in her hair. Azura let out a hum of contentment as she wrapped his legs around his back, locking them behind him so that they were intertwined.

They could've stayed like that forever, before a sharp rap on the treehouse door snapped them out of their shared heaven.

"You two done in there, or do I have to come in and teach you how to unlatch?" came Leo's voice, still tired from yesterday's bout, but as snarky as ever.

"Please don't!" Azura called out, blushing

"What do you mean, 'unlatch?'" Corrin asked at the same time. Azura slapped him on the arm.

"We'll be out soon, Leo!" she promised. "What do you need us for?"

"Ryoma, Xander, and everyone else is going to be in a meeting, discussing afterwar measures," Leo replied, and Azura could almost feel his eyeroll. "Go grab something to eat and then meet us in Corrin's study. And don't take your time! There's other things we have to do today besides frolicking without loved ones!"

"Just wait until you actually find a 'loved one!'" Corrin called out. "Then we'll see who has to ask the other to unlatch!"

Azura stifled a giggle behind her hand as she heard Leo try to stammer out an excuse before backing down the stairs. As soon as he was out of earshot, Azura leaned in to kiss Corrin on the lips again.

"We should probably get going," she said, once they broke off.

"We should" Corrin replied, making no attempt to move.

"Ryoma and Xander'll probably get really mad at us if we don't show up."

"I'm sure they will."

A savage grin appeared on Azura's face as she wormed her fingers down her sides, causing him to yelp and flex away. "How's that, then?" she asked playfully.

"Azura, stop!" Corrin protested, though she could feel herself starting to break out laughing from the tickle. "Stop!"

After a few minutes, Corrin laid back down on his bed, his hands under his head, breathing heavily from their most recent excursion. Azura continued to sit on the edge of the bed before she rose and threw a wad of clothing at Corrin's face.

"Get dressed," she ordered, though with a smile. "I'll meet up with you in your study. What do you want?"

Corrin groaned as he tossed his sleeping tunic over his shoulder, revealing the toned, yet scarred muscle underneath. Azura couldn't help but get distracted by Corrin's physique, though she felt a pang of sadness as her eyes drifted down towards the scar running across his stomach, the result of saving her from a Faceless during an attack on the castle.

"I'll take anything," he said, his voice strained as he struggled to clip his armor up to his chin. Unlike the day before, the armor was now clean, devoid of dents, and most importantly, shone like a diamond on a sunny summer day, courtesy of Flora's immaculate performance.

"Why are you still wearing armor?" Azura asked. "We're no longer in a war."

Corrin paused mid-strap. "Huh," he said. "Old habits die hard, I guess."

He tossed his cape over his shoulder and clipped it on before looking back towards Azura. "You coming or what?"

Azura all but skipped towards him as she intertwined her arms with Corrin's. "It'll be my pleasure."

Corrin beamed as the two of them climbed down the treehouse, Azura first, of course. As they walked towards the main part of the castle, Azura couldn't help but feel…apprehensive. Apprehensive of the unknown future they now faced, but also happy, happy that Corrin will be beside her, no matter the circumstances.

She just hopes they'll be prepared for what happens after the war.

* * *

A/N: Is it just me, or do some of you writers out there also feel like whenever you write something, you find something wrong with it, but then other people read it, and they find nothing wrong? Cause that's what I feel with Anankos here. I felt like I rushed him too fast, and so his final character reveal (which isn't that big of a reveal since the game has been out for nearly 3 years at this point) might feel a little weak.

Also, _**send me ideas for future chapters. Arc 4 is literally going to be Azurrin week, except all the time. Hmu with them ideas.**_


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: Just gotta get this out of the way, I'm really sorry if these next few chapters seem like carbon copies of The Apocryphal One's work. I know some of you may say that this work is one of the best in the fandom, but that's only because I used ideas, concepts, and character relationships from other people's work. I hope most of you are okay with that, but I totally get it if some of you get turned off or irritated by how similarly my work looks like The Apocryphal One's. It's hard, but I'm trying.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of its characters.

Works I basically stole from (with permission): s/12010853/1/Fire-Emblem-Fates-Aftermath

* * *

As Corrin and Azura walked through the castle hall, where many of the army had rested overnight, the men started slowly rousing themselves, stirring themselves awake and sluggishly preparing to follow through everyday procedure. Corrin glanced at Azura with a faint hint of amusement as her stomach growled audibly.

"What?" she said defensively. "We've haven't eaten yet."

Corrin smiled and shook his head. "Come on," he said, taking her by the arm and leading her away from their destination towards the kitchen. Jakob and Flora were already there, serving Odin and Laslow a bowl of delicious-smelling gruel.

"You really know how to cook, don't you?" Laslow said flirtingly, winking at Flora. "You know, I got a few ideas 'cooking' for you, right now, so how about you—"

"Don't bother," Corrin said as he got in line behind them. "She's as cold as ice."

Odin burst out into laughter as Laslow blanched. Even Flora had crack a smile as Jakob gave them a dispassionate look-over before returning his attention to the pot he was stirring.

"Ah, L-lord Corrin!" Laslow stammered, hastily averting his gaze from Flora. "Good job dealing with that dragon yesterday. Gods know what would've happened to us if you didn't stop him."

"Ah, it's alright, really," Corrin said as Flora handed him a bowl of that delicious-smelling gruel. "How's Peri doing?"

The easy smile from Laslow's face faltered a little, but remained strong. "She's…doing better. She's still alive, thankfully, but the healers said it'll be very unlikely for her to ever fight or even swing a sword anymore."

"What happened?" Azura asked.

"One of those accursed barbarians snatched her hand and fighting spirit during our fated battle!" Odin proclaimed loudly, striking what Azura assumed was supposed to be a heroic pose, though it made him look more like a child pretending to be a dragon. "Her life would've been lost, had it not been for the hero standing in front of your very eyes! I, Odin Dark, was the sole reason as to why she was to survive such a heated and terrible war, and—"

"What my very loud companion is trying to say here is that he was able to stop the bleeding before Peri bled out," Laslow simplified, shooting an exasperated glare towards Odin, who merely smiled back cheerly. "But considering how long it took for us to find her hand again and reattach it, the healers say there's a very slim chance that the nerves in her hand will be reattach themselves properly."

"And what if they don't?" Corrin asked.

Laslow shrugged. "She'll never be able to use that arm the same way again," he said flatly. "She'll have to resign as Xander's retainer."

"That's terrible," Corrin muttered shaking his head. "That must be tough for you, since you've worked with her for…how long?"

"Nearly ten years," Laslow said. "I've served as Prince Xander's retainer for nearly fifteen years, but she was recruited later on." Laslow glanced towards where Selena and Odin were standing. "If you must excuse me, I'm afraid my comrades are waiting for me."

"Of course," Corrin said, smiling. "The war's over now, so we have all the time in the world to catch up now if you want."

Laslow looked like he wanted to say something, but instead elected to bow his head and say, "Of course. I'll keep that in mind. Lady Azura. Lord Corrin. Good day."

"That was…entertaining," Azura admitted as Jakob poured a ladle full of gruel into her bowl.

Corrin said nothing but nodded his head as Jakob turned towards him. "Would you like eggs or bacon?" he asked, holding up a fork in each hand, with the mentioned food stuck on the tines. "They're fresh, so they'll be warm."

"I'll…take the bacon," Corrin said, allowing Jakob to dump several strips of the meat into his bowl. As Jakob retracted his arm, Corrin managed to grab his wrist, causing the butler to raise his eyebrow. "Hey, make sure you take a break, alright?" he said concernedly. "If not for yourself, then at least for me."

Jakob looked like he was about to argue but instead just dipped his head in an unconvincing nod. "I'll keep that in mind, Lord Corrin."

"The same applies to you too, Flora," Corrin said to her. The main smiled and nodded but continued working steadfastly.

"Come on," Azura said, pulling Corrin away. "I'm sure they'll take a break eventually. Xander and Ryoma are waiting for us, remember?"

"O-of course," Corrin stammered as she led him away and up the flight of stairs leading to his study. They were halfway up when a question suddenly struck Corrin. He stopped in his tracks.

"Hey, Azura?" he called.

The songstress turned curiously and looked towards him. "Yes?"

"What…do you want to do after the war?"

Azura frowned and tapped her chin with a finger as she thought. "I don't know," she said after a few minutes' worth of deliberation. "When we started this war, all I wanted was to stop Anankos and avenge my mother's death…but I never really thought about what I would do _after._ "

"Why not?"

Azura turned away so that she wouldn't have to face Corrin and his red eyes full of concern. "You have to understand, Corrin, because of my heritage, because of my curse, because of my _song_ , I thought that the chances of me living through the war were…impossibly low. I never expected to have a chance to fight back against Anankos until I met you, but it wasn't until I fell in love with you that I started to find reasons why I should try to keep myself alive."

Corrin quickly crossed the distance between them and hugged her. Azura's eyes widened as she tried to keep her balance on the stairs, but she closed them all the same, allowing Corrin's warmth to envelope her, though hugging people in armor was definitely not at the top of the list of her favorite things, but Corrin being Corrin, she didn't mind.

"Well, now the war's over," Corrin said huskily after a few moments. "I'm still here for you, and you're still alive. What do you want to do?"

"I still don't know," she said quietly. "Just anything that has you in it."

Corrin could've sworn he felt his shoulder dampen, but when she pulled away, her eyes were as dry as before and her smile as genuine as his. Corrin tried to press her for answers, but Azura simply rested her finger on his lips.

"We can talk about this later," she said. "The others are waiting for us, so I doubt now is the time for us to have a therapy session."

Corrin swallowed as he clasped her finger in his hand, her skin cool against his own.

"O-of course."

Corrin pushed open the door to his study to see Ryoma, Xander, Leo, Takumi, and the rest of his siblings clustered around the room; some sitting, some standing, but all serious-faced. Even Camilla had her lips turned downward, though it soon lifted again as soon as she saw Corrin and Azura walk in.

"Aw, I knew my little dragon could do it!" she gushed as she rushed towards them. It was all Corrin could do to give Azura a look that said _help_ before Camilla smothered his head in her chest, albeit a little bit more gently than usual, due to her right arm enclosed in a sling.

As he freed himself from Camilla's grasp, the rest of his siblings surrounded him, congratulating him and each other on Anankos' defeat. Even Sakura and Elise tried to drag Azura into the celebration, but it was all she could do to simply smile and retreat back to her corner.

For a few moments, the mood was jovial, almost triumphant, but when Corrin glimpsed the massive pile of paperwork already sitting on his desk, letters he would have to undoubtedly write to all those families who've lost loved ones during the war, his mind flashed back to the horrible sight of all his friends laying motionless on that battlefield, and his smile died. Everyone else soon noticed the change in mood and they all separated, awkwardly eating in silence.

Leo managed to pull up a chair next while Takumi sat on the ground next to him, his gray hair falling loosely around his shoulders. Normally, he would've put his hair up in a high ponytail, but it seemed like he either lost it during the fighting or else he simply lacked the energy to do his hair this morning. Camilla, Sakura, and Elise sat outside, on Corrin's balcony. Elise and Sakura were seated at a small table while Camilla stood behind them, patting their heads as she stared wistfully down at the castle. Azura couldn't read minds, but she knew she was thinking of Beruka and all the others lost.

Xander was the only one who didn't eat, but instead elected to drink from a cup of steaming coffee. Ryoma, however, elected for both a steaming cup of tea _and_ a massive bowl of gruel. Judging from the smell, it must've been the same gruel Flora and Jakob had given to Azura and Corrin. Both Xander and Ryoma had been up all night, making sure everyone was accounted for and that everyone was who they said they were, so they were just as tired as the healers and sentries who volunteered to work throughout the night.

Meanwhile, Azura decided to plop herself on Corrin's desk, where he had also decided to sit. Such was the extent of Corrin's work ethic that he was already working on the paperwork in front of her, but when he saw her sit on top of his desk in front of him, he looked up and gave her a quick smile before resuming his work.

For a long time, they simply ate, thinking about their new life, a life without war between Hoshido and Nohr, until Elise broke the silence by asking, "So what now?" a yawn cutting off the end bit of her sentence. Like the other healers, she too had gone to bed later than the others and woke up at the crack of dawn to finish healing the wounded.

Takumi glanced at her before returning his gaze to the bowl in his hands. "Don't know," he said bitterly. "I'm pretty most of us are going to separate after this. Probably pay for the damages to Nestra for trashing Cyrkensia. Patch things between Hoshido and Nohr. Set up trade routes. Coronate Xander and Ryoma. You know, things that are supposed to happen after a war."

"B-but where do w-we even start?" Sakura asked, walking in along with Elise and Camilla. "I-I don't e-even k-know what w-we're _supposed_ to do after a war!"

The lavender haired woman closed the windowed door behind them before standing next to Leo. "None of us do, dear," she said. "We'll just have to work out the problems one at a time and hope it doesn't lead to another war."

"I doubt that'll happen," Leo said. He looked around at the faces of the others in the room. "What?" he said defensibly. "All I'm saying is that Hoshido and Nohr have been at each other's throats for…how long? Thirty, forty years?"

"Thirty-six," Corrin said, not looking up from his work. "The war's been going on between Hoshido and Nohr for nearly thirty-six years."

"See?" Leo said, gesturing towards Corrin. "Thirty-six years is a _long_ time, and those kinds of feelings built up for the other nation during the course of the war isn't going to go away anytime soon."

"That's why we'll have to take things slow," Camilla said, frowning. "We should first set up a list of things of what both nations should focus on working on in their own territories before we focus on strengthening relationships with each other."

"That is true," Xander said, taking another sip of coffee. "Since it's confirmed that Father died, and me being the heir, Nohr is going to have to coronate me as king before we actually do anything to build our relationship with Hoshido."

"Same here," Ryoma said. "Ever since our mother died, Hoshido has been in a state of sharp decline. We'll have to focus on getting our nations back in shape before we can actually negotiate for peace."

"Wait, Hoshido and Nohr are still at war with each other?" Corrin asked, finally looking up.

"Oh, no!" Hinoka exclaimed. "Part of the reason why Ryoma and Xander didn't sleep at all was because they were writing official letters and having messengers send them all around the kingdom, calling for the armies to stand down until further notice."

"We're still not sure about the curse," Xander explained. "I heard Queen Arete died mysteriously, and I was able to deduct that she died because she wrote down…you know, that place's name. I didn't want to take the chance, so I decided to simply ask for a ceasefire until we know the curse is broken."

"It is," Corrin and another female voice said at the same time.

Xander almost dropped and shattered his cup of coffee on the floor as Lilith gently butted the windowed door leading to the balcony. Hinoka got up from where she was sitting against the wall and opened the door for her.

"Thank you, Princess Hinoka," Lilith said before drifting in front of Ryoma and Xander. "Anankos is dead, and with him, the curse he laid on Valla's name, history textbooks, and people's memories. Even as we speak, people are 'rediscovering' Valla, and if you read one of Lord Corrin's history textbooks, you'll be able to find Valla's name again."

"She's right," Leo said in an amazed hush. He held up a thick history book with the titled _Nohr's History: Sixth Edition_ plastered on the spine. "I've read this edition _at least_ six times during the course of my education, and I've never seen the chapter on…on that place until now."

"You can say Valla's name now, Leo," Corrin said. "Azura and I discovered that too last night."

" _Last night?"_ Takumi asked suspiciously. "So was that where she was hiding the whole time?"

"I was not hiding!" Azura said defensively. "I…I just wanted to clear a few things up with Corrin."

"Oh?" Ryoma said. "And what was the end result? What is to become between the two of you?"

"We're officially back together," Corrin affirmed with a nod. "She's mine and I'm hers. Nothing is going to change that."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "Good," Hinoka breathed. "No offense, Corrin, we want to see you happy, since it makes _us_ happy, but I think it'll be a lot safer for the rest of us if you remained…happy. I'm pretty sure you know why."

"I do," Corrin said darkly. He knew what she was referring. Everyone did. Even his Nohrian siblings, who hadn't been there to see his draconic grief knew about it, and he hated Hinoka for bringing it up.

 _How would they react, knowing I'm Anankos' son?_ He wondered silently to himself.

He looked up when he felt Azura's hand touch his, her skin cool against his. She squeezed his hand, and he felt his heart subside.

 _It's alright. They're family. They'll trust me._

"Well, that's probably the worst thing I've heard today," Takumi grumbled as he leaned back.

Azura tilted her head curiously. "What do you mean?" trying to keep her annoyance out of her voice.

"Don't you remember, Azura?" Hinoka asked. "All those suitors that tried to court you?"

Corrin gave Azura a surprised look as Azura blushed. Yes, she did remember all those suitors, usually men who were drawn to her beauty and voice, who thought to try and crack the lakeside beauty. She had appreciated her efforts, but she just couldn't open herself up to them, nor did she feel the same way towards them as she did towards Corrin, so they soon moved on.

"D-don't look at me like that!" she stammered as she hid her face behind her hair, too embarrassed to look at Corrin. "I-I never thought of them the same way!"

"So…" Corrin purred, cat-like, his eyes twinkling. "What about these 'suitors?' What's the problem with them?"

Takumi pursed his lips. "Well, I think we told you this before when you were 'living' with us in Hoshido, but duels are a…pretty big deal in Hoshido. Not every suitor who gave up on Azura lost interest in her, if you know what I'm saying. Some of them are bound to try and duel you for her hand."

"Ha, I'd like to see them try," Elise said confidently. "I mean, my brother just took down a _dragon!_ How are a bunch of old guys supposed to compete with that?"

"Er, not all of them are old, you know that right?" Hinoka added. "Some of them got to where they were by winning duels…and a lot of them."

"That's besides the point," Ryoma said. "I'm sure in the event one of the daimyos decide to challenge Corrin for Azura's hand, you'll either both be married, since that sort of practice of 'stealing' away another's wife is looked down upon heavily in Hoshido, or else Corrin will be able to face down any challengers without problems."

Turning towards Corrin and Azura, he asked, "So what are you two going to do? With Anankos dead, and…Valla…Valla destroyed, both of you have a claim for the throne, but how are you supposed to rebuild it?"

"Actually, that's not true," Lilith piped up. "Sorry for interrupting," she apologized, "but everything you just said false. Technically."

Xander almost choked on a lungful of coffee. "What do you mean?" he asked, coughing. "How is Valla not destroyed? Anankos all but blew it to hell when…when he tore up the land, didn't he?"

Corrin hid a smile behind his hand at the memory of Xander's near identical reaction when he revealed to his siblings that Lilith was the very same entity as the quiet, blue-haired stable girl they had known for nigh-on twenty years. Even at times such as these, the memory never failed to cause him to chuckle.

"The _land_ of Valla is destroyed, but not it's people," Lilith explained patiently. "As you know, Queen Arete and Queen Mikoto were of Vallite royalty. They, along with their children, were able to escape before Anankos' wrath and managed to hide themselves in Nohr and Hoshido, respectively."

"Yes, we know," Takumi said impatiently. "But what does that have to do with this situation?"

"Because they weren't the only ones to escape," Lilith said. She drifted towards Xander. "Do you remember Iago, your father's retainer?"

Disgust and hatred curled on the prince's face almost immediately. "Of course," he said. "How could I forget such filth?"

"He was of Vallite descent as well," Lilith said. "Like Arete, Mikoto, or even Iago, there were some people who escape Valla's destruction…but there were many more that did not. Those who were unlucky enough to not have escaped were either killed and turned into his puppets...or captured and turned into slaves."

"Slaves?" Elise asked. "But isn't Anankos supposed to hate humans? Why would he even bother taking the time to keep slaves?"

"For entertainment," Lilith said sadly, drifting lower to the floor. Her golden eyes slowly closed in disgust. "Not only did he hate humans and was insane, but he was also a sadist, even in the best of times. He used those who survived Valla's initial coup as mere training dummies for his soldiers, replacements for those he lost in battle, or as mere food. But more often than not, he kept them alive so he could kill them in the most excruciating and…morbidly creative ways possible."

"Explain," Takumi said, standing up.

Lilith bared her teeth and wrapped herself closer to the crystal ball she always rode on: her version of shaking her head. "I can't," she said miserably. "I don't…I don't want to remember."

Everyone frowned at her choice of words. "Wait," Xander said, "does that mean that—"

"We have to go back," Corrin interrupted, standing up. "We can't leave them there." He looked around the room for any objections.

Ryoma sighed, knowing it would be pointless to try and change Corrin's mind about saving the slaves, though it wasn't like he was going to try. He wanted to free those slaves too. "How many?"

Lilith lifted her head and looked towards the samurai. "What?"

"How many slaves are there?"

"A-a good few thousand or so," Lilith answered. "I don't know the exact number, sorry, but—"

"Alright, all in favor of going back to rescue those slaves, raise your hands," Leo proclaimed.

Corrin looked around hopefully. Three, four, six, eight! Ten hands if he counted Azura, Lilith, and himself among the cast. All except Camilla, however. Corrin frowned as he looked in her direction.

"Why not, Camilla?" he asked.

Camilla frowned as she rubbed her chin, her one visible eye deep in thought. "I'm all for us going back to rescue those people, but what are you going to _do_ with them? I doubt Nohr's current condition is an improvement from their current condition, and I doubt Hoshidans are going to enjoy an entire city's worth of people they've never seen before showing up and living on their land. This is an entire population's worth—or at least a city's worth— of people. We can't just drop them into Nohr and Hoshido and expect everything to be all fine and dandy."

Corrin paced back and forth in front of his desk. "We won't," he answered. Suddenly, another idea popped into his brain. "What if…we take them in?"

"Take…them…in?" Elise asked. "Like puppies?"

Corrin nodded. "Exactly like puppies! I mean, Ryoma said that both Azura and I have a claim to the throne, so why not use this opportunity to rebuild Valla and find a home for the slaves at the same time? We could make a new kingdom, a kingdom between Hoshido and Nohr. A second Valla, a _New_ Valla. We could rule together, as king and queen!"

Azura stiffens as Ryoma and Xander both look at each other thoughtfully. Corrin ignored her sudden clamp-up but continued looking hopefully towards the two men. Xander rubbed his chin, frowning.

"Well, I'm not sure if our land is going to be much use, since you know, Nohrian soil be Nohrian soil sometimes, but if you need it, I could always donate some land. It won't be easy or quick, since I have to be coronated first and have to fix the…several mistakes in Nohr, but _technically_ , you taking in the Vallite slaves to make a new kingdom could work."

"I agree," Ryoma said. "I could always donate land myself, and unlike Nohr's they'll actually be useful—"

"Thanks," Leo deadpanned.

"—but the bigger question is _where_ would this second Valla be situated?" Ryoma continued.

Corrin frowned before walking over to a bulletin board hanging on a nearby wall and spreading apart a map of Nohr and Hoshido. The entire map was covered in scribbles and colored markings: red for Hoshido, purple for Nohr, and yellow for neutral states, but at the very southern tip of The Bottomless Canyon, right where it was thinnest and next to the ocean, there was a patch of empty space.

He pointed at it. "What about that area?" he asked. "It's empty on the map, which meant neither Hoshido or Nohr has claimed it yet, and its out of the way enough so that we won't be intruding on either kingdom's land."

Leo walked up to the map and bent over, inspecting it. "That…could work," he admitted after several minutes of study. "But I hope you know there's a reason why Hoshido and Nohr never bothered claiming that part."

"Why not?"

"That place is…different, compared to the rest of Hoshido and Nohr," Takumi explained. "That's where The Old Fort stands."

"The Old Fort?" Azura asked.

"Eh, the word 'Fort' could be a little misleading, actually," Leo said. "It's actually a castle, but nobody has been able to settle in the area due to an entire army's worth of people mysteriously vanishing in the past."

"What do you mean?" Corrin asked.

"Corrin, The Old Fort was the site of The First War's longest siege," Xander said, steepling his fingers in front of his face. "It was a vital checkpoint for both Hoshido and Nohr, which were still very new kingdoms at the time. None were able to bypass the original defenders, but one day, everyone in it just…vanished."

"What do you mean vanished?" Corrin asked. "People don't just _vanish_ , you know?"

"First off, like you're one to talk," Takumi griped. "When you and Azura rejected both Hoshido and Nohr, we thought you all but disappeared off the face of this world, and secondly, when we say vanished, we mean _vanished._ Like, there was no trace there was anyone there, No rubble, no weapons, no nothing. According to legend, it looked like the original builders simply finished, packed up, and went home without anyone living in it."

"Oh, you mean MyCastle?" Lilith piped up again.

Every looked up as Lilith slowly rose towards the ceiling. "I have a vague idea of what you're talking about, and I have a feeling that the castle we're in right now may be the same fort you're talking about."

Takumi blanched. "No way."

"Actually, I suppose it would make sense," Leo mused. "I mean, when I first arrived here, everything _did_ look like it was…classic, like everything that had been in the castle had been displaced in time."

Corrin and Azura shared embarrassed glances. "Yeah, I think Azura and I believe Lilith too," he admitted. "We were the first ones here, along with Felicia and Jakob, remember? When we arrived, and Lilith showed us the ropes…she also showed us a lot of skeletons."

"Oh, that's nasty," Leo remarked.

"No, but here's the thing though!" Corrin said. "They all looked like they were really old, like they've been here for hundreds of years. If this castle _was_ used and displaced in time four hundred or so years ago, then it would make perfect sense as to how we found so many skeletons."

"This is getting off-topic," Xander said, shaking his head. He looked up at Lilith. "Lilith, tell us, is it possible for this castle to 'replace' itself in the world as we know it? And how would we know that it won't displace itself again?"

"Well, it's still _there_ , so to speak," the dragon answered. "You can see it, and you can even try to approach it if you want to, though you'll probably end up several dozen feet away if you try, as I'm sure several of you know—" Sakura and Leo turned the same shade of red,"—but yes. I can beseech the astral dragons and ask them to bring this castle back to your world. It'll be just like before. People will be able to approach it, pass through it—it'll essentially be part of the world again."

"So we'll have a place to keep all the Vallites?" Corrin asked.

Everyone blinked in surprise. "What are you getting at?" Leo asked.

Corrin raised an eyebrow. "Well, I was thinking we could go rescue the slaves, bring them here, and have Lilith beseech the astral dragons to have them replace the castle back in the real world. That way, not only will we have a place to live, but also land."

"You're thinking too quickly, Corrin," Xander said. "The first part where you rescue the slaves and have Lilith beseech the astral dragons to replace the castle is somewhat valid, but you have to understand it'll take us several months before Nohr is able to recognize Valla as a new kingdom."

"We could have everyone stay here, in the astral plane, while you and Ryoma deal with that," Corrin countered. "That way, me and Azura can figure out how to deal with new kingdom problems, and you two can figure out how to deal with old kingdom problems."

Leo rubbed his chin again. "That could work," he admitted. "Obviously, things are still a bit rough around the edges, but your reasoning and idea seems valid. Anyone in objection?"

Corrin looked around the room and was relieved to see that nobody raised their hand. "Alright then," he said cheerfully, swinging his arms and rubbing his hands together. "Looks like we have a rescue operation on our hands."

They didn't go on the rescue operation that day. They spent the rest of the day working out the flaws in Corrin's grand idea, while Lilith warned them about how even though most of undead Vallites died a true death along with their master, he still has a few human agents remaining. Most of them served them out of fear—she reassured—but she also slipped in a few names that Corrin and his siblings recognized.

"Damn that traitor, Camilla said, clenching her fist. "I knew Iago was bad news the moment my father took him in as his retainer, but secretly serving Anankos? Now _that_ I can believe."

They decided to send a small party, no more than twelve but no less than eight, back into Valla to find the location of the slaves: large enough so that rogue Faceless would pose no problem, but small enough for them to move quickly.

Xander and Ryoma elected to stay behind to control what remained of their armies, though Corrin knew they secretly wanted to send out more letters to their respective nation's peoples. Hinoka and Camilla are still too weak and injured from the fight to properly accompany them, but they offered their own mounts in case they wanted to speed things up.

Sakura and Elise, as expected, are dead-tired, so Corrin dismisses them early when the group comes to the topic of discussing the slaves' future, and they gratefully trudge down the tower stairs, barely able to keep their eyes open. Corrin had Hinoka keep an eye on them and asked her to escort them both to their respective quarters.

Leo and Takumi, despite looking just as tired as Corrin's younger sisters, both volunteered for the job, much to his gratitude. Corrin took a moment to walk down to the main hall, where most of the wounded were finished being patched up, and asked around for volunteers.

Immediately, Kaze, Silas, Laslow, and Selena all stepped forward, and as Corrin tried to count heads, he thought he saw a pair of very familiar-looking and bedraggled looking soldiers dragging a third body in. He immediately orded healers to focus on the two soldiers dragging Gunter while another two soldiers dragged him down into the castle dungeons, on the very strict orders to "treat him well."

Unfortunately, according to one of the soldiers responsible for taking Gunter back, they had gotten sidetracked and were set upon by a trio of Faceless. The other man died soon after of his injuries, and Corrin sagged his head at the news, but at least Gunter and the other soldier were safe.

Oboro, Niles, Odin, and Hinata all immediately volunteered when they heard that their lieges would be part of the search party, and combined with Kaze, Silas, Laslow, Selena, Leo, Takumi, Azura, and himself, they were already at twelve members, so Corrin marched back up to his study to tell his siblings the news, only for them to tell him that he was forbidden to come.

"W-wait, what?" he asked.

"You're…too important," Hinoka explained patiently. "You're technically king now, and if you were to die back in Valla, no matter how small the chance, the damage that would do would be…big. Very big."

"Plus, you still have all that paperwork to do," Leo deadpanned, gesturing towards the already increasing stacks of paper on Corrin's desk. "Flora just dropped off another stack, so I think it'll be better if you stayed here and focused on finishing. Who knows? Maybe some of them have to deal with Valla's future."

Corrin didn't like it, but their arguments were sound, and one by one, everyone trickled out of his study, until it was him, Azura, and nearly sixteen stacks of paperwork. Corrin looked up when Azura called his name.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright staying behind?" she asked from the doorway.

Corrin waved a hand dejectedly. "Yeah, I'm sure. Leo and Hinoka were right, after all. I still need to finish writing all these letters to the families of the soldiers who we lost, and I need to start planning for the future. Our future."

That caused Azura to frown, which caused Corrin to frown as well. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said, almost too quickly.

Corrin's frown deepened and he rose from his chair to take her hand in his. Azura squeezed his hand but refused to look him in the eyes.

"Hey," he said gently, taking her chin and gently turning her face towards him. "C'mon, you know you can trust me. What's wrong?"

"There's…something about you said today," she said hesitatingly. "About how we could rule together, as king and queen."

"What about it?" he asked, letting her hand fall from his. "That's what you wanted, right?"

"I said I didn't know what I wanted to do," Azura snapped, though upon seeing the hurt and surprise on Corrin's face, she immediately softened her tone. "Sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to snap at you."

"It's alright," he affirmed, taking her hand in his again. "You said you wanted to do anything that had me by your side, and I wanted to reestablish Valla. Wouldn't that automatically make you queen?"

"That's the problem though," Azura said, pulling away and crossing her arms. She leaned on the door frame but still refused to look Corrin in the eyes. "You know how I am. I'm not good with people, and I'm not a good leader."

"Yes you are!" Corrin said, surprised. "Just because you may be quiet all the time doesn't mean you're not a good leader! You got me on your side, so surely, that has to count for something, right?"

"That's different," she breathed. "I already trusted you fully when I told you about Valla, but that's the thing! I don't know what other people think about me! What you were suggesting this morning, about us two…I don't want it."

"Oh."

Corrin looked absolutely devastated, and Azura wasn't quite sure why until she played back their conversation, and instantly, she felt like a fool.

"Well, I guess if you don't want to be queen of Valla, there's nothing I can really do, huh?" Corrin said, trying to be humorous but failing. His voice sounded choked. "But, I mean, seriously? After last night? Why not?"

Azura grimaced. "Oh gods Corrin, I didn't mean to—I love you! I _want_ to stay with you, to marry and love you—" isn't it funny how the concepts of _marriage, Corrin,_ and _love_ together made this warm little sun light up in her chest? "—but…but it's the ruling. I'm not comfortable leading people. I-I just _can't_ —"

Azura stopped herself as she pressed her palm to her chest, trying to calm herself, when she felt ready again, she took Corrin's hand, causing him to look up. "I _want_ you, and I _want_ stay by your side, but I'm not sure how I can if I'm coronated queen of Valla. I'm just not comfortable leading, having everyone looking up to me. I'm afraid I'm too…"

"Off-putting?"

"Off-putting," Azura agreed. "I mean, convincing you and Felicia was one thing, but an entire people? I don't think I can."

Corrin visibily deflates in relief. "I see. That was…much, much better than I was expecting. I thought you didn't want me anymore."

A pang of guilt rings through Azura as she squeezed his hand. "Oh, Corrin, no! I can't ever think of you that way. If anything, I'm more afraid of not being enough for _you_ and disappointing me."

"Azura—"

"And besides, don't you remember last night? I told you, I never stopped loving you. I want to marry you, but I don't want to become queen of Valla. If I _do_ marry you, then—"

"Then don't," was Corrin's immediately answer. Shocked, Azura looked towards him to see his face set in the _thinking_ mode, complete with the set jaw, distracted staring, and chin rubbing.

"I'm not really familiar with this kind of politics yet, but I'm pretty sure there's a thing called a Regent and a Consort. I think a Regent is what you're afraid of, going in front of people and talking to them. A Consort is…just like the behind-the-scenes, you know? They're the ones doing all the paperwork in the castle while the Regent is the one responsible going out in public and doing all that jazz," he said. "What if, if we marry, you abdicate the throne to me, since you're the rightful heir, if Vallite royalty has the same policies as Nohrian ones, and I become King-Regent. Then you'll be Queen-Consort and both of us are happy."

Azura pursed her lips. That was…exactly what she wanted. Not having to socialize with other people? Being able to keep to herself? What did she ever do to have met a person like Corrin. She chuckled, suddenly feeling playful.

"That…sounds surprisingly nice," she admitted gratefully after a few moments. "Except there's one part of your statement that still bothers me."

"Hm?"

Azura stepped closer to him so that her lips were right next to his ear. "It's like I said before, it's not a question of 'if', but of 'when' we marry. I hope you have better proposal planned later, because if this was it…"

She let the mock threat linger, and Corrin knew she was only joking, but he couldn't help but shiver as a chill ran down his spine as Azura pressed a kiss to his neck. When she pulled back, she was smiling, so Corrin took it as a good sign.

"So…you're good?" he asked stupidly.

Azura giggled. "I am now," she replied before turning and bouncing down the steps.

"Make sure you stay safe!" he called after her.

"Don't worry, I will!" she called back.

"And don't try to overuse your song!"

"I'll keep that in mind," she replied, turning around to look at Corrin in his study one last time before tomorrow. "Don't worry, I'll keep myself in one piece for you."

Corrin smiled, and a flash of love rushed through Azura's body before she turned away again and walked down her stairs, the image of Corrin smiling brilliantly at her causing a smile to break out on her lips as she made her way down to the bottom level, where Laslow, Silas, and Kaze were waiting. Laslow was busy talking with Kaze, who looked as neutral as always, but when he turned towards Azura, she could've sworn she saw a flash of relief in his eyes.

"Lord Corrin told us about how Silas and I were to act as your 'acting retainers' during the course of this rescue operation," the green-haired ninja greeted as the trio walked towards the armory.

"Wait, what about himself then?" Silas asked. "If both of us are protecting you, then shouldn't one of us—"

"Corrin's not coming," Azura said simply. "He has too much work to do, and now that he is the heir to the Vallite throne, nobody wants to take the risk of him dying."

"I doubt it," Laslow snorted. "Lord Corrin? Dying at the hands of one of Anankos' Faceless. Please, tell me another joke."

Kaze's expression remained neutral, but his tone indicated that he too, was somewhat amused, though nowhere near as much as Laslow. "That…would be tragic."

"Anyways," Laslow said, putting his arm around Azura's shoulder. She immediately shied away, working herself out from his unfamiliar touch. For a split second, Laslow's eyes flashed with surprise, hurt, and exasperation as he removed his arm. "So tell us, what's up with the big smile?"

"What smile?" Azura asked, still smiling from the memory of Corrin's smile. "I'm…simply deciding whether or not I should open myself up to others."

Laslow looked like he was about to say something, but instead tilted his head and shook a finger at her. "Ah…you're learning what humor is, aren't you?"

"I know what it is."

"Laslow, you should probably back off," Silas said, though he was also smiling at the sight of Laslow poking Azura's cheek, trying to force a smile out of her.

"Come on, you can smile if you want."

"…no."

A/N I thought Arc 2 would've been the hardest, but this Arc is definitely going to be a close second. I'm...not very good with original ideas, so again, I apologize if my work seems like its a carbon copy of The Apocryphal One's own work. I've always been an advocate for quality over quantity, but The Apocryphal One publishes _very_ high quality work, so naturally, I would borrow some ideas from her, but recently, it feels more and more like I'm outright using her own ideas. I don't like it, and there's bound to be some of you who feel the same, but I came all this way. Let's finish it.

Again, I need ideas for Arc 4, or does no one read these?


	31. Chapter 31

A/N: Another month, another update. I'm glad to be working on this again, though in the classic Daxmvarg fashion, the instant I started feeling interested in writing again, a lil' game had to pop up and catch my interest. That game is, of course, NieR: Automata, and me being me, I was instantly drawn to the music, art style, plot, but most importantly, characters. That's right everybody, a second work is in the shop. Don't expect the first chapter to be until summer though. I need to create a basic plot line, but for those of you out there who are NieR: Autotmata fans, you're in for a treat!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of the characters.

* * *

"This way. Please follow me."

Azura grimaced and squinted her eyes as she and the rest of the search party behind her followed Lilith through the portal the little dragon had created. Just as quickly as the light appeared, however, the light died and faded away, leaving nothing save for the wisp of ethereal energy floating behind them.

The battlefield was the same as they had left it, with stars glittering in the purple void around them and slabs of solid rock and land slowly floating up into air, as if they were underwater. The sudden shift from late morning in the astral plane, to blinding white light, to indigo evening was jarring, and it took several minutes of deep breaths and massaging her head before she felt steady enough to stand up straight.

"Everyone good?" Silas called. Before they left the astral planes to travel back to Valla, Corrin had instructed the search party that Silas was to be in charge, with Kaze as his second. Azura knew the reasoning behind picking the leaders for the search party. Silas and Kaze had been nothing but loyal to Corrin throughout the war, and with both of them as his personal retainers, any questions about their loyalty to their liege was rendered null and void.

Azura turned to see Silas, Kaze, Oboro, Hinata, Odin, Niles, Laslow, Selena, Leo, and Takumi behind her, all of them hunched over, as if expecting a blow. Blinking the spots out of her eyes, Takumi looked up at where Lilith was bobbing peacefully over their heads, completely unaffected by the consequences of their most recent warping.

"What is it with you dragons, being unaffected by stuff like warping?" Takumi asked. "Is it just because you're a dragon, and we're human?"

Lilith dipped her head as she floated down to Takumi's eyeline. "I'm afraid I don't understand the question," she said calmly. "And besides, it's not really warping as it is opening a portal to a—"

Takumi rolled his eyed and waved her away. "Whatever. Just stop talking, will you? Forget I said anything."

Lilith clamped her jaw shut as she bobbed up and down.

"Is everyone ready to move out?" Silas called again. The paladin was already the first to recover, and before long, the rest of their part sounded in the affirmative.

"This way. Please, follow me," Lilith said as she floated slowly towards the ruins of Castle Gyges. Everyone looked at each other uncertainly.

"Uh, why…are we going back to the castle?" Hinata asked, scratching the back of his head. "Didn't Azura say that everyone in the dungeons were dead or turned into Anankos' slaves? Why are we going back to the castle to look for survivors?"

"We're not going to the castle to look for survivors," Lilith explained patiently as she floated towards the Hoshidan retainer. "Castle Gyges is home to many ancient artifacts and sources of information. Among them is the location of where Anankos kept his slaves. He didn't have the resources to build a specialized castle or prison for the slaves, so instead, he used the already existing forts and smaller castles around the kingdom as the Vallites' prisons. We'll be going to the castle to see if we can find some documents telling us which ones Anankos used and where they are."

"Wait, how do you know this?" Leo asked suspiciously. "I understand if you have knowledge of Anankos or of Valla, due to your status as a dragon, but how do you know about what that dragon kept in his treasury?"

When Lilith faltered for an answer, Azura stepped forward. "Lilith has served Corrin for many years, Leo," she reminded. "Are you perhaps suggesting that she's a traitor?"

"No, of course not," Leo said, shaking his head. "But do you not find it somewhat suspicious that Lilith would know the contents of Anankos' chambers?"

"I…I do," Azura admitted guiltily, glancing at Lilith floating beside her, "but I'm still willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. Not mentioning the rest of Corrin's retainers, she's served him the longest. I doubt she's one to turn on us, especially after Anankos is dead."

"Thank you," Lilith said, gratefully bowing her head. "It truly heartens me to hear those words."

"Looks like somebody's optimism rubbed off on them," Leo said under his breath. Louder, he asked, "But what if we can't find the records? A castle can only provide shelter so many people, and according to history, there are still at least a good few thousand left alive down here in Valla, right? Even Castle Krackenburg, which is known to be one of the largest castles ever built in history can only house about two thousand people. Since Castle Gyges is nowhere _near_ as large as Castle Krackenburg, that means they're bound to be spread out across a series of smaller castles and forts, right?"

When Azura faltered, Silas stepped forward, placing himself between the songstress and the Nohrian prince. "We'll find them," Silas said seriously. "We've come this far, haven't we?"

Leo's shoulders fell. "Fine. We'll follow you," he said. Then turning around at Lilith, he jabbed a finger at her and added, "But know that if you show any signs of turning traitor, I'll put you down on the spot. Like a dog."

Lilith tilted her head. She knew, of course, that Prince Leo would be willing to do it, but she was also confident in her abilities to survive and escape if such an event came to pass. If she wanted to, at least.

"I'll keep that in mind."

"There's no need to be so harsh, Leo," Azura said. "Why are you—"

"We're just trying to keep everyone safe, alright?" Leo said exasperatingly. "Isn't there a Hoshidan saying about victory—"

"Defeat is always most bitter before victory," Oboro interrupted. "Actually, the saying goes something like—"

"That's not important," Leo interrupted, causing Oboro's face to turn a violet shade of red as her hands automatically reached down for the dagger by her waist, only pausing when Takumi grabbed her wrist and shook her head.

Leo turned towards Lilith. "Please, forgive if I have been needlessly cruel towards you, but you have to understand, Lilith. We literally just killed a _god._ A god that, mind you, could have an entire network of spies and assassins hiding among us at any time. I doubt that you would be one of them, but we can never be too careful, right?"

Lilith dipped her head again. "I…suppose that makes sense," she said slowly. "But trust me, I would never do anything to harm Lord Corrin or his family. My life is indebted to him, and me paying him back with a knife in his back would be a poor way of giving my gratification, no?"

Leo pursed his lips. "I suppose not." He glanced towards Azura, who nodded supportively. Leo had always been one to speak bluntly and to speak his mind, no matter how acidic his tone could be. Him simply saying "I suppose not," was his version of an apology, albeit a rather cynical one.

"Well, if you two are done, perhaps we could begin our trek?" Kaze asked. "The longer we stand here bickering, the longer those poor slaves are suffering."

"I agree," Lilith said, floating away towards the ruins of the dilapidated castle. "Please, follow me."

* * *

For the next day and a half, or at least what passed as "days" in the ruined Valla, the search party made their way towards the destroyed Castle. Normally, they would've been able to make a beeline straight for the castle, but due to the land being literally ripped into the air, they were forced to navigate around a series of islands.

It took them nearly another day, before they found themselves standing in the field where they had made their final stand against Anankos. The field itself was barely anything other than a few scattered strips of rock and dirt floating precariously into the air, courtesy of Anankos. Due to the hazardous terrain, they were forced to cross the entire field one at a time, hanging on for dear life onto Lilith as she ferried them across the ruined field.

Eventually, however, they were all on the other side of the field, in front of the ruined gate, safe and sound. While the actual battle took place outside the castle walls, in the nearby fields, the castle was still all but trashed by Anankos.

As they walked through the ruined hall, towards where Anankos had reigned in the throne room, Azura looked up. The entirety of the castle's grand roof had been blown apart when Anankos embraced his true draconic form, exposing the hallway to the elements. Azura noted with some interest that the black hole Anankos had summoned prior to their fight was still floating above them, slightly distorting their vision, albeit on a much smaller scale and less powerful.

Azura gingerly hopped over a suspicions piece of rubble sticking up precariously from the ground, only for a glint of what seemed like gold to catch her eye. She gave a quick glance towards the front of the party, and stooped over to investigate the flash.

To her surprise, it was one of the golden doors they had opened before fighting Gunter and Anankos in the throne room. The names were still carved on the golden leaves, and though most of them were illegible, Azura could clearly see Corrin's birth name, Kamui, glinting brightly underneath her aunt's name.

"What's wrong, Azura?" Takumi asked as he picked his way over a collapsed statue. "Find something interesting?"

"…No," Azura said hesitatingly. "Just thought I saw something move."

Takumi nodded slowly. "Ah. I see. You feel it too then?"

"Feel what?"

Takumi looked nervously behind himself. "I don't know," he said uncertainly. "It…it just _feels_ like something's about to go wrong, you know? It's like a sixth sense or something."

"Well, considering how we're standing where Anankos used to reign, I wouldn't be surprised," Azura replied cynically. "Anankos certainly has a habit of making everything going wrong whenever he's around."

Takumi drew his cheeks in, realizing he was now stepped on sensitive ground. "Yeah. I guess."

They didn't see any undead soldiers, which relieved Azura, but they did encounter a Faceless stooped over a pile of rubble, tossing bits and pieces out behind it. As they approached, Azura could've sword she heard it mutter, "Brother," before Leo promptly sank a shaft of barbed electricity into it's back, causing it to stiffen and fall anticlimactically forward onto its face before dissipating into purple smoke.

Azura gave a glance over her shoulder at the sight of the iron shackles resting on the floor.

 _Anthony was turned into a Faceless. Could it be possible that his other servant were turned into—_

Azura shook her head. Now was not the time to be think of such things. _Especially_ now.

Finally, after what felt like another day of picking their way over the ruins, Silas held up a closed fist over his shoulder. "We'll rest here for tonight," he ordered. "Er—well, for whatever counts as night down here. Kaze, Oboro. You two take first watch."

The group spread out in preparation for setting up their tents, though it was unneeded since they knew rain would never set again in Valla, but a break from the sight of the gray rubble around them was a welcome one. Azura looked up from where she was trying to hammer down a stake into a bag when a bag slammed down onto the ground in front of her.

"I'll be tenting with you," a female voice announced.

Azura looked up to see Selena staring crossly down at her. Knowing her, Azura knew she was more bark than bite, though the redhead was still able to lop off a Faceless' head with ease.

"That's fine," she said, frowning as she missed the stake for the fourth time. Finally growing frustrated, Azura sat back down on her haunches and stared dejectedly at the mallet and stake bag in her hand. "This is useless," she muttered. "The ground's too hard for the stakes to even penetrate, much less go in"

Selena rolled her eyes before gently pushing Azura out of the way and grabbing the tools from her, albeit a lot more gently than Azura has expected. "You're useless at this," she muttered. "You just have to…first set the stake in a place where it's soft enough for the stake to penetrate, but hard enough so that a breeze won't just blow it away."

As if on cue, the stake slid neatly into ground. Selena smirked as she took the mallet from Azura and proceeded to pound the stake further into the ground. Within minutes, all four stakes were embedded firmly into the ground.

"Hand me the rain fly, would you? I know it'll probably never rain down here again, but you can never be too careful."

Azura mutely handed the needed item to the redhead. "How do you know how to set up a tent so quickly?" she asked, an eyebrow raising in an expression of astonishment as Selena proceeded to set up the tent poles. "I know you're a retainer, and that you're supposed to serve your liege first and foremost, but I've never seen someone able to set up a tent so quickly."

Selena looked up and blew a tuft of red hair out of her eyes. "Old habits die hard, milady. Old habits die hard."

Selena sighed and rested a hand on her hips as she stood back to admire her handiwork. By now, the tent was completely set up, and Azura was even surprised to see a little campfire set up in front of the shelter, though it was far away enough so that the tent wouldn't spontaneously catch on fire if the wind decided to blow toward the cloth walls. If there was wind, that is.

"You set up a campfire too?" Azura asked incredulously. "How did—"

"Old habits die hard," Selena repeated, stooping down to pick up her bag and chuck it into the tent. "Right side's mine. Don't go digging through my stuff."

* * *

Later that night, they found themselves gathered around a larger campfire, also set up by Selena. Azura sat herself down on a piece of rubble, large enough for her to comfortably draw her legs up and rest her chin on her knees, but small enough so that only she could sit on it. That was alright, though, since everyone else managed to pull up another equally piece of rubble or debris and were now settling down around the campfire.

Azura perked up when she felt something brush her back, but when she turned around, all she saw was Lilith peering up at her with those adorable puppy-like eyes, and without thinking, Azura's hand automatically reached out to pat Lilith on the head.

As soon as her hand touched Lilith's scaly head, however, Azura drew her hand back sharply, as if it had burned her. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she apologized. "I—"

"It's fine," Lilith said gently. "It's probably my fault for not giving you a warning."

Azura refolded her arm around her legs as she looked at Lilith curiously. "Oh, um, alright. Why did you need?"

"Oh, I'm simply feeling cold," Lilith said. Then, feeling sheepish, she asked "Is it alright if I…nest myself in your hair?"

"Nest…in my hair?" Azura asked. At first, she wasn't sure what to say, but when Lilith looked up at her again with those golden eyes, she found herself smiling. "O-of course you may, Lilith. Here, let me arrange my hair real—"

"Oh, there's no need!" Lilith gently butted her side, nuzzling where Azura's long blue hair touched her back until she was able to create a space between Azura's skin and her hair.

Azura fought back a smile but was unable to stop herself from wriggling as she felt Lilith slide over her back. "That tickles!"

"My apologies," Lilith said. "I suppose my scales…aren't the most comfortable surface to rub against. I can get out if—"

"No, no, you're fine," Azura said, settling back to her previous position. "I just…I just didn't expect you to be…so warm."

Azura felt her back vibrate as Lilith…purred? "Ah. I see."

Azura looked behind her at the Lilith-sized bulge sticking out of her back. "Wait, if you're so warm, then how come you need to nest in my hair for warmth?"

"I…I lied," Lilith said guiltily. "I…I don't actually feel cold. I…I just needed a place where I could feel safe."

"Safe?"

"Somewhere where I know Anankos' presence won't be."

"So…in my hair?"

"…Yes."

Azura felt a ghost of a smile tickle her lips. "Alright. Fair enough, I guess. My hair used to be my room, back during my childhood in Nohr, you know."

Even as those words left her mouth, Azura felt a…feeling encompass her insides. It wasn't painful or unpleasant, but rather…different. What was she doing, telling Lilith such things? Obviously, she had more serious things on her mind, so why is she even trying to—

"Ah yes, I remember having hair," Lilith mused, sticking her head from behind Azura's curtain of hair. "It was a pain though, in the mornings. I'm sorry for messing up your hair like this, Lady Azura. I shouldn't have done this to you. Give me a moment to get out—"

"No, you're fine!" Azura said, a little bit too quickly. Inwardly, she cringed. Why was she feeling so nervous all of a sudden? She normally talked this much with another person, or in this case, a weird cat-dragon-bird-guardian thing. "Please, stay. Even if you just wanted to bundle yourself up in my hair to feel safe, I'm fine with it. It's not like all this hair had a use, anyways."

"Then why do you keep it so long then?" Lilith asked. "It's been a while since I was in my human form, but the one problem I kept having with it was that when it got wet, it became super heavy. You're a Vallite princess, aren't you? Isn't your…I don't know, isn't your entire kingdom _based_ on water?"

Azura drew her legs closer to her chest, her hand scrabbling blindly for a warm hand she knew would not be there, and upon meeting cold stone, promptly wrapped her arm around her legs again. "I don't know," she said after a moment's silence. "Everything…everything is so different now. Half the time, I can't tell whether or not this is a dream."

"It isn't," Lilith affirmed. Azura turned to look down at her.

"Anankos is dead," Lilith declared. "Lord Corrin is alive. You're alive. Everyone here is alive. It's not a dream."

"But what if it was?" Azura asked. "I mean, _you_ can't prove it, and I can't prove it, so—"

Azura stifled a yelp behind her hand as she felt Lilith's tail wrap around her stomach and squeeze—Lilith's version of a hug, since her front paws were eternally stuck carrying that odd crystal orb thing around. "We're all trusted friends here, Lady Azura," Lilith said. "Trust me. This isn't a dream. You're really here, sitting with your friends and family, and I'm here trying to give a hug. It's not a dream."

Azura stayed tense for a second, before finally sighing and breathing again. "I guess you're right," she said. "Maybe I'm just overthinking everything."

"Possibly."

The two females fell into a comfortable silence, a silence only broken when Lilith asked, "Why don't you sit with the others?"

Azura flinched, something that did not go unnoticed by the little dragon. "O-others?"

"Yeah! I meant Prince Leo, Prince Takumi…all the other people that came down here with you. Why don't you sit with them?"

Azura pursed her lips as she drew her legs even tighter. "Oh, um…I'm…I'm more comfortable being alone," she said quietly. "I'm not really a people type of person."

Azura felt Lilith bob her head up and down, as if she were nodding. "Ah, I see. Makes sense. I'm sort of the same way too."

"You too?" Azura asked. "Really? You've been serving Corrin for…how long? And you're still socially awkward?"

"Well, there was a reason why I wanted to be a stable girl instead of Lord Corrin's retainer," Lilith said. "I'm not like you. I'm not as shy or socially awkward as you. I can talk comfortably to others, unlike you."

Azura heard Lilith gasp as her head pushed itself out from under her left arm. "Oh my gods! I'm so sorry!" Lilith exclaimed. "I didn't mean to insult you! I-I—"

"You're fine." Azura could now feel her facial muscles contorting into a smile. "I guess you're right. I've always been quiet, but Nohr…just sort of cemented it in me, I guess. I was never one to strut around, all lady-like like those duchesses and nobles in Garon's court. I…I mostly preferred to stay in the back."

"Same." Now that she felt relaxed again that her accidental insult did not actually hurt Azura, Lilith withdrew her head again behind Azura's hair. "I always preferred working in the shadows, making sure Lord Corrin was safe and whatnot."

Azura, suddenly feeling playful, asked, "Is there any other reason why you wanted to dedicate your life to him so badly?"

"He saved my life once, you know," Lilith said. "He found me while I was in my dragon form. He was so young at the time…he thought I was a bird!"

"A bird?"

"Yup! Though, him being barely past the age of seven at the time, seeing something larger than a butterfly fly around and mistaking it for a bird could be a reasonable mistake."

"Is…is there anything else you know about Corrin that I wouldn't know?"

Azura's back vibrated again as Lilith purred. "Hmm…well, yes, actually. I don't know if I should tell you this, but—"

"Tell me," Azura ordered. "I want to know."

Though Azura couldn't see her, Lilith bared her fangs into a toothy approximation of a human smile. "Well, if you wish. I don't know if you know this, but I heard Lord Corrin enjoys writing little love poems, especially to a certain songstress…"

* * *

"Dinner's ready!" Laslow announced, though in a quiet undertone. Anankos may be dead, but they never knew if a wandering Faceless decided to test their mettle, so it was always better to play it safe.

Laslow had volunteered to cook, something everybody was skeptical at first, but that was before the smell hit them.

"Wow, Laslow!" Hinata said enthusiastically as Laslow poured the youth a _fourth_ bowl of soup. "I didn't know you could cook!"

Laslow chuckled amicably. "Ah, well, I guess when your beloved is one of the best cooks in the army, you tend to pick up a few things. Plus, my mother was in a class all by herself."

"Oh, she was in a class all by herself all right!" Odin said loudly, prompting the others to shush him.

"We're still in the middle of what could be hostile territory, you ass!" Selena hissed. "Are you _trying_ to get us killed?"

"My apologies, my friend," Odin said, in a much quieter voice, twisting his hand in an odd gesture over his chest. "It was not my intention to disturb the natives of this land. All I wished was to tell the other members of our noble party the beauty and cook that my gray-haired friend's mother was—is! Hark! Beautiful isn't even the best word to describe her! A better word would be… _seductive._ "

"Who're you calling gray-haired?" Laslow said indignantly. "It's indi—w-wait what? What did you say about my mother?"

As the two men started to bicker back and forth, Selena shot a venomous yet oddly affectionate glare at them before rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Can it, the two of you," she snapped. "I'm trying to eat here!"

"And don't you ever call my mother seductive again, you hear me?" Laslow said venomously as Odin freed himself from his fellow retainer's headlock. Odin merely grinned and darted back to lightly jab Laslow in the side before hiding behind Selena.

Laslow cursed as he dropped the ladle, spilling soup everywhere. "Oh, you son of a—"

Everyone glanced nervously at each other as Laslow unsheathed his sword and sat himself on a piece of rubble, took out a whetstone, and began sharpening his blade.

"Blonde-haired-ass, delusional-ass, not-a-single-chest-hair-on-your-chest-lookin' ass wannabe actor," he muttered darkly under his breath, though his true emotions were betrayed by the small smile on his face.

At that, everyone burst out laughing, partly due to the relief of not having to watch two of their party brawl it out, but also due to Laslow's…interesting insult. Even Leo cracked a rare smile, though he tried to hide it behind his hand.

"If you two were any closer, I would've thought you as husband and wife," he deadpanned, looking at, Laslow, and Odin, who perked up as soon as they realized that Leo was talking to them.

"Three," Odin corrected automatically, earning himself a glare from Selena. "Laslow and Selena have been my most noblest of comrades ever since…since when?"

"First off, you don't need to say 'most noblest,'" Selena interrupted. "Just say most. You don't need both."

"Yes, because saying 'my most noblest of comrades' is worse than saying 'my most of comrades,'" Laslow said drily.

Everyone guffawed as Selena turned a shade of red matching that of her hair's. "Y-you shut up!" she snapped. "You know that's not what I meant!"

"Relax," Odin said soothingly, sidling up behind her and resting his hands on her shoulders. "No need for you to work yourself up so much. We're only jesting, after all."

Selena lurched away from the blonde mage and jabbed a finger in his face. "I'm perfectly calm, thank you very much!" she said in a not-very-calm manner. "I don't know how you two can be so…so—"

"So relaxed?" Laslow offered.

"Thickskulled?" Odin said at the same time.

Selena opened her mouth to utter those exact two words, before electing shooting an even more venomous glare at the two men before turning away and ducking into the tent she and Azura shared. Everyone looked after her nervously as Odin and Laslow shook their heads amicably and fist-bumped each other.

"How long was that?" Odin asked.

"I think we set a new record!" Laslow said brightly. "Only took us three seconds this time, compared to the four and a half from last time!"

"Oh, she'll get over it in a few minutes," Laslow said when the others gave him and Odin a _what the hell?_ Look. "Trust me, if she was actually angry, we probably wouldn't be alive right now."

"I am angry!" Selena shouted from her tent, her voice muffled. "I am very, very angry!"

"And…there she goes," Odin said, smiling as he scooped up the ladle Laslow had dropped. "Here you go."

"Cheers," Laslow thanked as he took the utensil from the dark mage's hands. He was about to dip the ladle back in the soup before a look of disgust overcame his face. "Actually, on second thought, it would probably be a better idea for me to wash this off before I stick it in the pot everyone's eating from, huh?"

"Where are you going to wash it?" Kaze asked. "I doubt going off by yourself for the sake of washing a single spoon is worth the trouble of finding a clean source of water."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Hinata said. "There's a little waterfall about a few hundred feet away. Me and Niles saw it when we were on patrol duty. It must've been some sort of decoration, since we couldn't see where the water was coming from but judging by how we saw a couple of animals drink from it, it has to be pretty safe, right?"

Silas rubbed his chin. "Still…I don't like the idea of you going off by yourself. It's dark and there could be Faceless prowling about."

"It's always dark though," Takumi deadpanned. "I don't know if you noticed or not, but we've been down here for, what, nearly a full day now? It's been the same brightness since yesterday!"

"That's besides the point," Leo said, waving aside Takumi's objection. He turned towards Laslow. "Still…Silas is right. If you feel this strongly about having a clean spoon, take someone with you at least."

"Ah, I see you also have the ability to read minds!" Laslow said good naturedly as he walked away. "Lady Azura can be my buddy. She can watch my back while I go wash the spoon."

Azura started and lifted her head from where she was watching the firelight dancing on the floor beneath her seat. "W-what?"

"I said, you're coming with me to watch my back while I wash off the spoon that Odin made me drop on the ground," Laslow said as he walked past her. "Don't worry, we're not going far," he added as Azura looked back nervously at the group. "Just to a little waterfall Niles and Hinata saw."

"O-oh. Um, alright," she said, quietly apologizing to Lilith as the little dragon reluctantly floated out from behind her.

Laslow couldn't help but stare at Azura's legs as she hopped to the floor, dusting the dust off the front of her dress. Upon catching Laslow's hastily averted glance towards her, Azura planted her hands on her hips.

"What would Peri think if she knew you were looking at other women?" she asked.

That was all she needed to say. Laslow coughed awkwardly and turned away. "I-I think we both know what would happen, and quite frankly, I wish I didn't. C'mon, let's go."

* * *

As soon as they were out of earshot of the others, and as the light from the campfire died away so that the only light came from the lantern Azura held, Laslow suddenly turned around. "Lady Azura?"

"Yes?" She paused in her tracks as Laslow turned to face her. There was an…unexpected amount of emotion in his eyes, and Azura unconsciously took a step backwards.

"If you're going to flirt with me…" she started, but was cut off as Laslow sighed.

"Do you know about Lord Corrin and Anankos' relationship?" he asked.

Azura felt the world grow cold around her as Laslow tilted his head. "N…no," she lied. "I don't."

Laslow sighed again and kneaded his eyes. "Well, I suppose this'll take a while then. Here's the rundown version: Anankos was the deity of the Vallites, right?"

Azura nodded.

"One day, he started showing signs of madness, which caused the people to turn against, and _in turn_ caused his…condition to worsen, and that was when he overthrew your mother and killed thousands of people, right?"

Another silent nod.

Laslow rubbed the back of his head as he rested his elbow on a piece of rubble behind him. "Well…there's more to it than that," he said slowly. "Before he went completely mad, Anankos tore out a part of his soul, the part untainted by the darker desires of his mind. That soul part took the form of a human, who your aunt, Mikoto, met and eventually fell in love with. Sumeragi was never Lord Corrin's father. It was actually Anankos who fathered him, not Sumeragi. That's why Lord Corrin can transform into a dragon and such. That's because he _literally_ has the blood of the dragons running through his veins. He didn't get this ability because the gods decided to favor him, or because of chance, but because his father was the one responsible for butchering your people."

It didn't get easier the second time Azura heard it, but she continued to maintain an air of ignorance. "How do you know this?" she asked. "Even if it _was_ true, how do you know this?"

"Because there's more to it than just that," another voice said.

Azura flinched as a dark portal appeared behind Laslow, and Odin and Selena stepped forth. The dark mage looked uncharacteristically somber and serious and the same time, and judging by the way her fists were clenched, Selena wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Are you sure we should tell her?" Selena asked. "It's possible knowing too much may cause her more harm."

"She can handle it," Odin said, giving Azura a meaningful glance. "She handled Valla's secret for nearly fifteen years, didn't she? I'm sure she can handle the truth about Corrin and our heroic origin story."

"Now's not the time," Laslow snapped, sounding much more serious than usual. "Just…just cut it with the hero talk, will you?"

His shoulders hunched, Laslow turned back towards Azura. "Lady Azura, the reason we're telling you this is…is because we felt you should be the first to know about us and Corrin. You're the one most familiar and knowledgeable about Anankos, and you've suffered the most at his hands, so we thought it would be…easier, somehow, for us to tell you all of this first."

"The truth is…we're also servants of Anankos," Selena admitted.

Azura would've widened her eyes. She would've taken a step back as she considered crying for help, but after Corrin's confession to her that morning, all she did as raise an eyebrow. "Which Anankos, the one that butchered my people or the one that fathered Corrin?"

"W-wait, you actually believe us?" Odin asked incredulously. "I-I know Laslow can be about as transparent as a glass pane sometimes, but this topic is incredibly complex and convoluted, even for one so intellectually skilled such as me! Are you sure you understand this, what we're implying?"

"I do," Azura affirmed, nodding her head. She sucked on her lip for a second before replying. Normally, she would never spout off such secrets, especially one as dark and convoluted as Corrin's true parentage, but if they knew…

"Tell me, does anyone else know?"

The three retainers shook their head. "No, just us four now," Laslow said. "Why?"

"Because…Corrin told me…everything," Azura admitted. "Everything. About him. About Anankos. About his father. Everything."

"Then why did you say you didn't know?" Laslow asked.

"Well, because if word got out that our prince was the son of the enemy, the men would lose moral," Azura pointed out. "And besides, I only found out a couple days ago, after the battle but before we left to find the slaves."

"How did Lord Corrin find out then?" Selena asked. "Anankos charged us with keeping this a secret from even our lieges! We thought we were the only ones who knew! How did he find out?"

"He met him," Azura said simply. "Anankos talked with Corrin, told him everything. That's how he knew, and later, he told me."

The trio looked at each other nervously. "Well?" Laslow asked. "How do you feel about this then?"

"I don't care," she replied truthfully. "I already told Corrin this, but I'll say it to you three. It doesn't matter what kind of person or god your father was. It doesn't change what kind of person you are, and as far as I'm concerned, Corrin is the kindest, most supportive person I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. I'm more than happy to call my…I'm more than happy to spend my life with him."

Odin rose an eyebrow and whistled. "He proposed to you already?"

Azura pursed her lips. "W-well, it'll be _nice_ if he did but—"

"This isn't important," Laslow interrupted. He stepped forward and grabbed Azura somewhat forcefully by the shoulders. "Listen to me, Lady Azura. Anankos, the one that fathered Corrin and not the one who killed your people, called upon us three to help him defeat his insanity."

"You know we're not from neither Nohr, nor Hoshido or any of the other countries," Odin claimed. "In fact, we're not even of this world. In truth, we are actually…we were heroes whisked from another dimension so we could beat back the calamity that was Anankos!"

"When we say 'whisked,' what we really mean was that we _felt_ someone calling for help," Selena explained.

"'Felt?'"

Laslow sighed and kneaded his head. "Look, look, this is already getting complicated. Let's just start from the beginning, shall we?"

Though the other two looked apprehensive, Odin and Selena nodded. Laslow gestured towards a piece of rubble large enough for Azura sit on. "Please, take a seat, milady. This is going to take a while, so you'll want to sit for this."

"I'm listening," Azura said. "Go ahead."

"Well, this all started when a prince found what would soon become his tactician and best friend lying unconscious in the middle of a field…" Laslow started.

* * *

A/N: Y'all ever notice these chapters are starting to get longer and longer, and also slightly better in quality? Also, developing character relationships!


	32. Chapter 32

A/N: Sorry if the character interactions and plot seems subpar. I'm not exactly a god at creating original content.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of the characters.

* * *

"If it wasn't for the fact that I had this exact same reaction when Corrin told me his side of the story, I wouldn't have believed you."

Laslow, Selena, and Odin all looked at each other. "So…you believe us?" Odin asked hesitatingly. "And you actually understand the meaning of what we just said?"

Azura sighed. "Of course I do," she replied breezily. "It lines up pretty well with what that tactician said about himself during our invasion on Valla, and for some reason, I can't help but feel as if I've heard rumors of this 'Ylisse' and 'Valm' before. Don't know when or where I heard those names, but I remember hearing them. And besides, picturing Lilith as Corrin's sister…just somehow…feels right, for whatever reason."

Laslow sighed and clapped his hands together. "Well, now you know the truth. My real name is actually Inigo and me and my group were sent here, to your world, to help Anankos stop his other self from taking over the world."

"Just one question," Azura said, raising a finger. "You said Anankos wanted you to kill him, right? Then how come it was Corrin who wielded Yato and not one of you three?"

"We never said we were supposed to kill Anankos," Selena said. "Pay attention! I said we were supposed to _help_ Lord Corrin finish off Anankos. And besides, if the Yato works anything like the Falchion in our world, it will only choose one bearer to wield it."

"But you said Anankos was supposed to send you to Hoshido," Azura noted. "How were you supposed to help Corrin if you were— _ah_. I see."

Odin nodded sadly. "And that's the reason why this whole quest of ours took so long. We were _supposed_ to land in Hoshido, but due to unforeseen circumstances, our noble party found refuge in Nohr!"

"Ironically, either way, we wound up under Lord Corrin's service, if indirectly," Laslow said drily. "You see, Anankos—the insane one—tried to interfere by bringing Lord Corrin to Nohr, only, funnily enough, we landed in Nohr _because_ Anankos tried to interfere. Had he let events flow naturally, we would've just ended up in Nohr and Lord Corrin in Hoshido, or us ending up in Hoshido and Lord Corrin in Nohr."

"That's…fortunate," Azura said, unconsciously clutching her pendant as the thought of a life without ever knowing Corrin washed over her subconsciousness. "So had that happened, you would've ended up trapped in our world?"

"Well, not exactly," Odin said, reaching into his pockets and revealing a crystal, similar to that of which Robin had shattered to travel back to his world. "Before he died, Anankos gave us these crystals. He said that we could travel back to our world after this whole endeavor was over, or we could remain in this world and continue living here. That being said…he never did forbid us from leaving prematurely."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because we're not assholes, duh!" Selena said. "We _grew up_ in a hell. We couldn't just let the same thing happen _twice_ , after all. Better we risk our lives all over again to save a world we know nothing about than to sit in a world lazing about idly, knowing we could've done something, right?"

"But how did you three help Corrin defeat Anankos?" Azura asked. "I mean, I know you served in his own personal elite guard, but you were never as close to him as Ryoma or Xander was. The way you portrayed your 'quest' was that you were supposed to work directly alongside Corrin like Ryoma or Xander did, yet I never saw any of you do that."

Laslow tugged at his lips guiltily. "This…that's where we failed," he said regretfully. "We weren't able to convince Garon, who was already possessed by Anankos at that point, to appoint us as Lord Corrin's personal guards and retainers, even though we had more than proved our mettle in our duel with our future lieges, so we were subjugated to just being retainers. Every time our lieges visited Lord Corrin, however, we did whatever we could to make sure at least one of us were able to visit him. Beyond that, there wasn't much we could do without placing the entire mission at risk."

"What about during the war then?" Azura asked. "Surely, your lieges would've understood your mission had you told them about it, right?"

Laslow sucked on his lip. "Well…about that…do you remember Scarlet's death?"

Azura nodded. How could she? She was, after all, the one to comfort Corrin over her death

"That's when whispers of betrayal started arising," Odin said. "It was thus rendered impossible for us to properly introduce our other selves without instantly painting a target on our backs."

"But what before the invasion?" Azura asked. "Surely, you could've done so before, right?"

"If we _had_ told Lord Corrin and our lieges the truth, wouldn't that still accomplish the same goal as marking us as potential traitors later on?" Selena asked. "Plus, we were sworn into secrecy by Anankos dying breath, so we couldn't exactly go back on the promise we made to a guy that literally sacrificed his life for us, now could we?"

Azura nodded slowly. "I see."

"Plus, we arrived in this world, we had no idea where Lord Corrin was imprisoned at the time," Laslow chimed in. "And we couldn't exactly demand where the location of one of Garon's most closely-guarded secrets, now could we?"

"I suppose not," Azura said, crossing her arms. "Still, it would've heartened me to know that at least there were three very capable, very determined warriors looking after Corrin."

"Please, forgive us," Laslow said, bowing and twisting his hand over his chest in an odd salute. Selena and Odin followed suite, as Azura looked at them in confusion.

"What're you apologizing to me for?" she asked. "I'm not the one who you were supposed to help take down Anankos. If anything, you should be apologizing to Corrin, and even then, you probably don't even need to since the entire situation got out of your hands. We can't blame you for having a _god_ interfere with your plans to help us and keep us safe. _Plus_ , we killed Anankos, so it's not like your apology is going to do anything anyways."

"I suppose," Selena said. "But just because we _could_ get off scot-free doesn't mean we _should_."

"Don't."

The three retainers looked up at the sudden anger and _frustration_ in Azura's voice. Realizing why they looked so startled as they were by her tone, Azura softened it. "Corrin used to say the same," she explained. "Back when Scarlet died, her death hit him harder than it did for even Ryoma. He wanted to give up, to _roll over and die_ all because one of the soldiers under his command died instead of him and that the invasion didn't go the way he thought it would. He wanted _himself_ to be the one to have taken the blow, not Scarlet, yet here he is now, doing paperwork back at the astral plane, safe and sound. Just because he _could've_ taken the blow for Scarlet doesn't mean he _should've_. Do you understand?"

The three retainers nodded mutely. "I see," Laslow said. "I apol—"

"Furthermore, just because you _felt_ like you didn't do enough doesn't mean you _didn't_ do enough," Azura continued. "I used to think the same. I was just a songstress and a walking source of information on Valla and Anankos. I thought I was worthless on the battlefield and a hindrance off it, yet Corrin never saw me that way. Without sounding too narcissistic or stroking my own ego, I was the catalyst to his performance. If Corrin could find value in me for just existing, I'm sure he'll be able to understand and forgive you for trying to help him deal with Anankos."

"…"

"…"

"…"

The three retainers were silent. Finally, Laslow broke the silence by saying, "Thank you."

"Thank you for what?" Azura asked bluntly. "I simply told you what you wanted to hear. There's no need to thank me."

"I…we understand how hard it can be for you to support someone that _isn't_ Lord Corrin," Selena said, "but we understand what you're trying to say and your reasoning behind it."

"Aye," Odin added. "Your words do nothing except strengthen my heart and soul. And for that…"

"Thank you," the three retainers said again in unison, twisting their hands over their chest again in that odd salute and bowing.

Azura wasn't sure on what to do except to stand there awkwardly as Laslow stooped down to pick up the lantern he had set on the ground.

"We should head back," he said. "We've been gone for far too long and the others are probably getting worried by now."

"What about the spoon?" Selena asked. "You said you were going to go wash it. Wouldn't it be suspicious if you showed back up with the spoon still dirty?"

"Here, let me take care of that," Azura said, stepping forward to take the ladle. As she looked at the wooden utensil in her hand, she reached deep within herself to sing the song that had caused her so much relief, pain, comfort, and fear.

" _You are the ocean's gray waves…_

 _Destined to—"_

"Stop!" Laslow suddenly shouted, waving his hands around to catch her attention. "What are you doing? Don't you know singing that song hurts you?"

"Of course I do," she replied frostily. "It's not like I've been burdened with it for the vast majority of my life."

"Then why are you singing it then?" Selena asked, ignoring Azura's sarcasm. "We don't need you to turn part of your body into water just so we can wash a spoon. Odin and I can always just portal there and back."

 _Portal?_ Azura thought to herself. _So that's how they found me and Laslow so quickly…_

"It's fine," she said. "The reason my song hurt me before in the past was because I was literally trying to free someone from the possession of a _god_. That would require quite a bit more power than to wash a spoon, wouldn't you say?"

Piqued, Laslow and Selena stepped back while Odin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, our fair maiden _does_ have a point," he said. "The amount of energy needed to perform magic is directly proportional to the complexity and magnitude of the spell."

"Since when did you start using big words like 'proportional' and 'magnitude?'" Selena muttered.

Odin ignored her. "And since our beloved songstress is many levels stronger than what would be expected of a woman at her current age and size—"

Azura rested a hand on her stomach. "Why do I feel like I've just been insulted?" Azura muttered quietly to herself.

"—theoretically speaking, it _should_ require less energy to summon forth a water spout to wash our ladle here," Odin continued. " _Theoretically,_ however. The art of magic is a fickle and convoluted beast that can turn on it's master at any moment. Those who dabble in such dark arts must be prepared for making the ultimate sacrifice if something goes wrong."

Laslow rolled her eyes. "Why do you have to make everything sound so dramatic and dark, Odin? It's not like she's _trying_ to kill herself over a spoon."

"Maybe not, but it's not something I'm willing to risk," Selena argued. "I'd rather walk the rest of the way than to have to apologize to Lord Corrin about how his confidant killed herself trying to wash a spoon."

"I'll be fine," Azura insisted as she prepared to sing again. "I've had this curse bestowed upon me for a good seventeen or so years by this point. I know my limit. Mostly."

Selena's eyes could've popped out of her sockets based on her extreme reaction was when she darted her face forward, her hands at her hips and an accusatory expression on her face. " _Mostly?"_

"W-well, it's not like the limit to your personal vitality is listed as a bar or life in front of you, is it?" Azura replied, put-off by Selena's bird-like glare.

Laslow rested a hand on Selena's shoulders and pulled her back. "Just relax, will you Selena? If anything goes wrong, I can cut that pendant, chain and all, off her pretty little neck, and if I'm lucky, possibly a little bit more—"

"Don't even think about," Selena snapped. "You know she's as good as engaged at this point, right?"

Azura turned away as a furious blush colored her cheeks. The sudden flow of emotions helped her steel herself, allowing her to pour her mind and soul into her song. She barely needed to sing more than a few lines before a stream of water started to flow around her, materializing out of her pendant and the cracks in the ground. It had always intrigued Azura how the sapphire-like gem imbedded in the center of the gold could hold so much water, but after Corrin told her about Anankos, she deducted that the stone was most likely made of the same material as Anankos' dragonstone, who being affined with water, would understandably result in her great control over water over…well, anything.

The three retainers stepped back and looked around in amazement at the mini-vortex of water swirling around Azura.

The moment she drew enough water, Azura took the spoon from a speechless Odin's hand and ran the entirety of it through a nearby tendril of water. The dirt, food, and grime easily came off, and once she was satisfied that it was properly cleaned, she let the power in her fade away.

Selena cursed and jumped back as the water splashed onto her boots while Odin and Laslow looked at her in amazement. "Are…are you sure you're feeling alright?" Laslow asked, hands already reaching out to catch her in case she fell.

In truth, Azura was also expecting herself to sway, or at least have her knees buckle, but to her surprise, nothing happened. "I'm fine," she replied. "We should head back now. The others are waiting for us and probably organizing a search party by now."

"Aye," Odin agreed. "I shall create a portal leading back to the campsite as to disguise my noble partner's and I's actions, while the two of you shall return back to the campsite on foot, saying you got distracted which is why you returned so late."

"Ah, just let me do the talking," Laslow said, pushing Selena and Odin through the portal. As Azura watched as the two retainers tumbled heads-over-heels through the portal, Laslow turned around and winked. "Trust me, milady. A good lover would _never_ let himself get caught in a lie."

Azura's lips thinned as she nodded. "If you say so..."

* * *

"What took you so long?" Takumi asked, waving his hands over his head as Azura and Laslow emerged out of the darkness. "We were about to send a search party out to find you two!"

"Ah, no need to fret," Laslow said, winking. "We've accomplished our task—" He whipped out the ladle so clean it sparkled—" _and_ we found a lil' something that might catch Lord Leo's eye."

"What'd you find?" Hinata asked, the youth jumping out of his seat to walk over to Laslow. "Where is it?"

Azura's lips thinned as Laslow blanched. Evidently, the self-proclaimed "lover" just dug himself a hole.

The gray-haired retainer chuckled nervously as he tried to stammer out another fib. "W-well, you see, it's a thing only Lord Leo would be interested in, so—"

"Don't want it," Leo said, eyes snapping up from behind his book, causing Azura and Laslow to surreptitiously breathe a sigh of relief. "As much as I love finding historical artifacts, the only historical artifact I'm interested in right now is a map telling us which fort is holding slaves."

"Don't we have Lilith for that?" Hinata asked. "Surely, she knows her way around pretty well, right?"

"Speaking of Lilith, where is she?" Silas asked, looking around. "I thought I saw her going into Azura and Selena's tent."

"W-wait, didn't Selena just…head into her tent?" Oboro asked.

Everyone looked at each other as they slowly connected the dots. Just as Kaze was about to open his lips to suggest someone go tell Selena about the dragon hiding in her tent, a bloodcurdling scream echoed around the campsite as Lilith flew fearfully out of Selena and Azura's tent and bolted straight towards Azura, hiding behind her much like a child would behind their mother.

Azura looked down in surprise as Lilith tucked herself into her arms as Selena stormed out of her tent, her red hair undone and clutching an oversized coat to her chest for modesty as she screamed, "And you better stay out!"

Everyone glanced each other before bursting out into laughter. Even Leo looked up from his book in curiosity before returning his attention back to it. Azura smiled gently as Lilith looked up at her, shooting her an absolutely adorable puppy-eyed gaze that made Azura want to hug the little dragon as hard as she could and squeeze her little cheeks.

"Please don't let her kick me out," Lilith begged. "It's cold out here, and it's much warmer in your tent."

Azura sighed as she rubbed Lilith's head. "I'll talk to her…"

"Alright everyone, we should probably get some sleep," Silas suggested as he and Takumi shouldered their weapons, the two men being the first to take watch. "Laslow, Oboro, you two are up next in a few hours. Don't get into any funny business, or else I swear I'll tell Peri about you two."

Laslow smiled but shuddered inwardly as he headed into his tent. "Oh, are you trying to keep me up at night, or do you want me to actually sleep tonight?"

Silas leaned in to jab Laslow in the chest with a finger. "No. Funny. Business."

Laslow's smile, if possible, grew even wider as he raised his hands in a mock surrender. "Alright, alright. I promise I'll keep my hands to myself."

"You'd better," Oboro snapped as she glared at the two men. "Otherwise, I'll cut them off myself. _Then_ I'll tell Peri about your infidelity."

Laslow blanched. "Y-yeah, that's pretty funny, Oboro. You're joking, right?"

Oboro said nothing but continued to stare flatly at Laslow as she raised an eyebrow. "Try me," she said before disappearing into her tent.

"Ah hell," Laslow muttered as Silas released him.

"Well, at least I can rest knowing that I don't have to give testimony in a sexual harassment charge," Silas joked as he dusted his hands off. "Sleep tight, Laslow."

Azura simply stared with bemusement as Laslow hunched his shoulders over and trudged back to her tent before doing the same herself. As she was about to open the flap, she swore she heard a choked sob coming from inside.

"Selena?" she called. "Selena, are you alright?"

Nothing.

"Selena, I'm coming in now, alright?"

"Just _give me a second!"_ Selena screeched back at her.

Shocked, Azura stumbled backwards as Selena stormed out of her tent, her eyes red. "What do you want?" she demanded. "Don't you know I'm trying to sleep here?"

"Were…were you crying?" Azura asked, cringing inwardly at her straightforwardness.

"N-no!" Selena shot back. "Of course I'm not!"

"But your eyes…"

"They're red only because you woke me up!" Selena raged. "Now, what do you want?"

"Uh, we're supposed to be tenting together?"

Selena's mouth hung open, undoubtedly in preparation to utter a snarky comment before she shook her head and closed it. "Well, jeez! Couldn't you have said that the _first_ time I asked you? Why can't you knock softer?"

"Knock?"

Selena scrunched her face up as she brought her hands to the sides of her head as she uttered a frustrated groan. "Just get in! You're letting the heat out!"

"Uh, one thing, before I come in," Azura said hesitatingly.

Selena glared at her with a venom reserved only for Odin and Laslow as Azura held Lilith out in front of her. The little dragon squirmed around in her hands, clearly uncomfortable at being forced into front of Selena.

"I-I'm sorry for…for intruding in on your privacy!" she squeaked.

Selena blinked before turning around and disappearing into the shadows. "Apology accepted."

Azura and Lilith blinked. "Wait, really?" they both said at the same time.

"Did I stutter?" Selena replied. "It's fucking _freezing_ out there! I'm not _that_ heartless."

"Is it?" Lilith asked before Azura gave her a tight squeeze. "I mean o-of course it is! It is absolutely frigid out here!" And then in a smaller voice, she asked, "Is it alright if I remain in your tent then?"

"So long as you don't crawl into my sleeping bag," Selena drawled. "If I wake up before my shift and find you in my sleeping bag, not even your father can save you, even if he could."

Azura grunted as she felt Lilith grow heavy in her arms. "You…you know who my father is?"

A single eye peeked out from between the tent flaps. "Of course I do. Both of you tried to kill me, Laslow and Odin, but that's alright. Water under the bridge. Now get in before I change my mind about sleeping with a former enemy."

Lilith glanced nervously at Azura as the woman released her. "L-Lady Azura, please, you have to understand! It's—"

"It's alright," Azura said tiredly as she stepped inside. "I know."

"Know what?"

"Everything," she said. "You, Anankos, Corrin, your relationship. I know everything."

Lilith's eyes grew as big as saucers as she tried to stammer out an excuse. "B-but w-wait! It's not—"

"I know," Azura said as she changed into her nightclothes. "I know what you did, and the regret you have because of them. But I've seen how you are with Corrin, and I can confidently say that besides the rest of my siblings, there's nobody else I would trust more when it came to Corrin's wellbeing."

"So…you don't hate me?" Lilith asked nervously as she continued to bob outside.

"Of course not," Azura replied. "I know what you've been through, so how could I hate anyone as sweet or helpful as you?"

Lilith was about to reply before Selena's voice cut between them like a whip. "Are you two done yet, or should I schedule a therapy session for the two of you? Get your ass in here, Lilith, and close the tent door while you're at it!"

"Uh, o-of course!" Lilith stammered as she hastily floated in. Azura reached over her to close the tent flap before settling in in her sleep bag. She closed her eyes only to open them again when she did not feel Lilith's presence on her chest, like she had been expecting.

"Lilith?" she whispered. Next to her, Selena had already fallen asleep, judging from the heavy breathing coming from her side.

A pair of golden eyes appeared in the dark as Lilith looked down at her. "Yes?" she whispered.

Azura gestured to her side, forgetting for a moment that they were in the pitch darkness and that Lilith probably couldn't see her movements, but then again, being a dragon could come with natural night vision.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" she asked.

"Of course I will," Lilith replied. "I…I just sort of sleep like this, floating."

"I thought you'd at least want to sleep between us, where it's warmer."

Lilith's eyes half-closed. "Well, that _would_ be nice, except…"

"Except what?"

"Nothing." The golden eyes closed fully, enshrouding Azura in darkness once again. "Good night, Lady Azura."

Azura frowned. Something about Lilith's tone sounded like…regret? Hesitation? "Are you sure?" she asked again.

"Yes."

Miffed at Lilith's sudden distance, Azura laid back down and drew her blanket around herself. Her arms automatically reached outward to stroke the hair of someone she knew wasn't there, but slowly, ever so slowly, her eyes closed and she drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

Azura's eyes shot open as she heard a sob coming from Selena. She sleepily sat up and rubbed her eyes, yawning.

"Selena?" she called. "What's wrong?"

Azura blearily opened her eyes to see Selena drawing her legs up to her chest, tears streaming down her face as she rocked back and forth. As Selena turned to look at her, a hiccuped sob escape from her.

"N-nothing," she said, returning her gaze forward. "Nothing's wrong."

Azura glanced upward to see Lilith floating peacefully above them, still asleep. Though she was unsure of how to continue, Azura gently and hesitatingly rested a hand on Selena's bare shoulder.

To her surprise, Selena's tears came even harder than before she tightly clutched Azura to her. Azura rose her eyebrows at the snarky redhead's sudden change in disposition before her gaze fell on a portrait of baby Caeldori and Subaki together, riding together on his Pegasus through the sky.

Selena always had a talent for sketching, and even for a hastily drawn sketch, it looked almost lifelike, which caused the pit in Azura's stomach to deepen.

 _Oh._

Subaki had been one the members of Corrin's personal guard to die fighting Anankos, but not only did he die serving as Sakura's retainer, he died serving as Selena's husband, as Caeldori's father. Azura pursed her lips as she hugged Selena back.

The redhead's sobs grew louder as they continued hugging each other into the dead of the night.

* * *

A/N: Imma be honest here, I hate Severa/Selena. I get that lore-wise, she's been through a lot, but god damn, I hate characters who act prickish right off the bat. Barring that, however, I decided to include her anyways. I'm sorry if I butchered Odin, since I'm really bad at making him sound the way he did in-game, and I'm also sorry if you don't like the way I portrayed the characters in my work, but I tried my best. Alsom this chapter was supposed to extend into the next day, where they finally find some slaves, but considering how long this chapter already was (4k+ words), I decided to cut it here. That being said, the next chapter is already in the works, so I'll see y'all next week!


	33. Chapter 33

A/N: So, I know I sort of butchered the "therapy session" with Azura and Selena last chapter, but in my own head canon, I see those two's relationship as being centered around actions rather than words. But onto the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of its characters.

* * *

"You look like you've been up late," Laslow remarked as Selena and Azura pushed themselves out of their tent.

Selena said nothing as she prepared the take down the tent she and Azura shared. Laslow rose an eyebrow, surprised by the glassy gaze Selena gave the word as she quickly broke down the tent poles, pulling up stakes, and folding the canvas into a neat little bag; all habits that he, Selena, and Odin were well-versed in.

Azura groggily opened her eyes when she felt Odin touch her arm. "What's wrong with her?" Odin asked. "Normally, she would be yelling at us, but it is unlike our companion to look so…defeated."

"Subaki," she said simply. That was all it took.

Odin's eyes widened, and he nodded once in understanding before he went over to where Laslow was trying to cheer Selena up. He whispered something in his ear, and Laslow frowned. He said something to Odin, what, Azura could not tell. His lips moved too fast and the duo too far away for her to accurately guess what they were saying, but she could tell that whatever the two men said to her afterwards, it improved her mood, judging by the tired smile she gave them as she nodded.

Shrugging, Azura made her way over to where the soup Laslow made from last night was stored. Lilith was already up, courtesy of her training as Corrin's attendant, and as she saw Azura sleepily pouring herself a bowl of cold soup, she floated down to her eye level.

"Good morning," she greeted.

"Good morning," she replied, a yawn cutting her off. Lilith said nothing but remained floating beside her, her tail constantly wrapping and unwrapping itself around the crystal orb she carried in her paws: her version of fidgeting nervously.

Azura looked up, brushing a strand of hair out of her face when she realized that Lilith remained silent. "Is…there anything wrong?"

Lilith remained silent but nodded.

"Is...there anything I can do to help?" Azura asked. Then, trying to ease Lilith, she joked, "I mean, it seems like I'm the most popular therapist around here, since Laslow, Odin, Selena, and you keep coming to me for emotional support."

Her banter paid off, for Lilith sighed. "It…it has to do with what you said to me last night, about what you know about me."

Azura rose an eyebrow. "Hm? Oh, you mean what I told you about how I knew about your relationship to Anankos and Corrin."

Lilith nodded again. "Please, Lady Azura, you have to understand, Anankos always viewed me as nothing more than a pawn! I was created for the sole purpose of serving him, and when he ordered me to kill his other self and Laslow, Odin, and Selena, or Inigo, Owain, and Severa as they were called at the time, he…he said that…that…"

"That he loved you?" Azura guessed.

Lilith nodded sorrowfully. "Y-yes," she gasped, her voice sounding thicker than usual. "I…I've never had someone say that to me before, so when the other Anankos told me to kill him…I…I couldn't. I just couldn't!"

"I believe you," Azura said. "Odin, Selena, and Laslow filled me in last night. They told me about how Corrin was your biological brother—that out of all of his siblings, _you_ were the true sibling—and how you were Anankos' servant."

Lilith bowed her head shamefully. "I'm sorry," she said. "I've done…so many things, so many terrible things, under Anankos' name, so I don't know how you could—"

"And yet, despite all that, I forgive you," Azura interrupted.

The little dragon looked up in surprise. "W-what? You forgive me? How could you? I was the one in charge of the slaves! Your people! All of their suffering were at my hands! How could you just forgive me on the spot like that?"

"Because you're Corrin's sister," Azura said simply. "And also because I know you didn't want to do those things."

"But I did!" Lilith said desperately. "The reason I served Anankos at all when I was created was because I _wanted_ to!"

"Then why couldn't you kill Anankos, the good one, then?" Azura asked. "Surely, if you _wanted_ to carry out Anankos' will, you would've killed the good Anankos, right? So why didn't you?"

"Because…because he was willing to let me kill him just so I wouldn't be punished," Lilith finally admitted, after a moment of silence. "He'd only just learned of my existence less than an hour ago, and during that time, all I did was try to kill him and his friends, yet he _still_ took the blow meant for me when the other Anankos tried to kill me. And…and that's what drove me to renounce Anankos' name and to serve Lord Corrin."

"And that's why I forgive you," Azura said quietly. "I know that at the time, deep down, you didn't want to hurt my people, and you only did it to save yourself, and while that's something most people would do, _most people_ would try to run, to escape, to leave their friends and family behind. _You_ didn't. You stayed behind, you chose to burden yourself by helping Lord Corrin. _That's_ why I forgive you. Not just because you're Corrin's family, not just because I know that secretly, you didn't want to hurt the slaves, but also because you chose to fight back against Anankos. And coincidentally enough, that's also why I fell in love with Corrin. He wanted to help me, to fight back against Anankos, and you did the exact same thing as him. That's why I decided to forgive you so quickly. And as far as I'm concerned, I trust you."

Lilith's breath hitched.

"There were so many times you could've destroyed us, so many times you could've assassinated Corrin in his childhood, but you didn't. You—"

"I didn't try to hurt him because I knew Anankos would hunt me down if I did," Lilith muttered. "I only served Lord Corrin out of fear."

"That's not true," Azura said. "You said it yourself last night! You served Lord Corrin because you felt loved by him! He took care of you when you were hurt, and you being the gentle soul you are, you decided to devote your life to him out of gratefulness, not fear! I trust you as much as I trust Corrin, maybe even a little bit more, since I know what living a life full of fear can be like, but please, Lilith. Even as you beg me to understand you, I'm begging you to understand why I forgive you and that I hold no ill will against you!"

Lilith was silent for several counts before finally responding. "Lady…Lady Azura?"

"Yes?"

"Can…can you please forgive my breach of protocol for a moment?"

"Your breach of what?"

Without warning, Lilith suddenly darted forward and buried her head in Azura's chest. Azura's arm came up in surprise to rest on Lilith's back before pulling her into a heartfelt hug. She swore she felt her dress dampen and a choked sob escaping from Lilith, which should be impossible for a dragon, due to their differing anatomy from that of a human's, but when the little dragon pulled back, there was a large toothy grin plastered across her face.

"Thank you," Lilith said. "Thank you for telling me what I needed to hear."

"Of course," Azura replied. "I'm always willing to help Corrin and his family." She smiled what she felt was a gentle smile. She didn't smile very often, but for once, she cared less about how others perceived her grin and more on the sense of completion and satisfaction within herself.

"Hey…uh, you two done yet?" Leo's voice said from behind them. "You've been talking and hugging for the last three minutes. Would you like to get a move on so I can have breakfast."

The two females turned their heads to see Leo tapping his foot impatiently behind them. "Well?" he asked. "I know you two have a lot to talk about, but could you talk about it somewhere else?"

"Did…did you hear our entire conversation, Lord Leo?" Lilith asked, fear evident in her voice.

"Of course I did," Leo said, but without the usual snarkiness or sarcasm behind him. "And…and I just have to say, Lilith, everything Azura said about why she forgave you…it goes doubly so for me. Except the part about falling in love with Corrin, for obvious reasons."

Azura turned on Leo. "Leo, you can't—"

"Upupup!" Leo interrupted, raising a finger. "My lips are sealed, prince's honor. You'll see no change in my behavior or attitude towards you, but…you have my condolences and understanding."

"T-thank you, Lord Leo," Lilith said gratefully as Azura breathed a sigh of relief. Coming from Leo, a word of comfort was more than enough.

"No need," Leo said, a rare smile, full of gentleness and understanding, breaking out on his face. "I'm just doing what most people in the scientific community refer to as 'being a nice person.' Now, get out of line so I can get my breakfast."

Azura and Lilith both smiled as they stepped out of Leo's way. Around them, everybody stared as the two females sat back down where they had the previous night. Selena looked a lot better, if one could say sobbing into Laslow and Odin's shirts was an improvement from her glassy-eyed stare from before.

Takumi surreptitiously strode over to Leo, who was putting the pot lid back on over the pot, despite it already going cold. It would do little to retain the warmth, or lack thereof, but it was always a good habit to close things you just opened, according to Xander.

Leo looked up as Takumi casually rested against the makeshift table. He wasn't fooled. When it came to talking to people, Takumi was never casual.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing," Takumi said nonchalantly. "Was just going to ask you a question."

"Then ask it."

Takumi gestured towards Selena, Azura, and Lilith. "Is it just me, or does it feel like anytime Azura talks to someone that's _not_ Corrin, she invariably ends up making them cry?"

Leo's gaze softened as he looked over to where Takumi was gesturing at. "She's…a very good person to talk to," he admitted. "What with her living such a…difficult life, I'm not surprised those with similar circumstances often seek her comfort."

"I suppose," Takumi said before suddenly standing up to leave. "You should probably finish up soon, Leo. Silas and Kaze wants us to pack up the tents and leave in less than thirty minutes."

Leo stopped eating in surprise. "I thought that since we were the royals, Azura, you, and I should be the ones making the decisions for once."

"Well, Corrin did make them the leaders of this mission," Takumi sighed. "And besides, with Corrin leading us for the past seven months or so, you sort of get used to falling in line and following orders. Hoshidans have _some_ level of modesty, after all."

"I never said you didn't," Leo said, surprised. It seemed Takumi came to talk to him casually after all. What a historical moment. Mark the calendars and pop the champagne.

Takumi said nothing but merely grinned and playfully slapped Leo on the back, causing him to choke for a split second. "Guess we'll see who snaps at each other first today then, right?"

"This exercise again?" Leo asked. "I don't know why you're so obsessed with keeping track of who loses their temper first."

"Just…think of it as self-therapy," Takumi said. "Oboro suggested it, and if you have any problems with it, take it up with her. Oh, and I also suggest calling her work bad to get the deluxe package."

"'Deluxe?'"

Takumi winked, but immediately shuddered. "Oh gods, I don't think even Oboro can change my mind about acting that friendly towards Nohrians."

"'Deluxe?'" Leo asked again, ignoring Takumi's indirect jab and wink. "What do you mean?"

Takumi slapped Leo again, this time on the shoulder. "You'll see. _You'll see."_

* * *

"Now _that_ looks like a place where a mad god would keep his slaves."

Azura panted for breath as she drew herself up beside Silas, who was standing at the edge of a cliff. For a good half of the day ever since they broke down camp, they've been travelling through the ruins of Castle Gyges and the land around it. Lilith had decided to lead them to the largest fort, which was also coincidentally the closest to their current position.

She dubbed it as "Fort Anobaith."

According to Lilith, Fort Anobaith was one of the first buildings ever constructed by the newly created Vallites during the First War. It was meant to shelter their entire population, which only numbered in the hundreds at the time, and was seen as a symbol of strength and determination for all those sought to escape the carnage of war. Even when Castle Gyges finished construction and was christened as Valla's new capital city, Fort Anobaith held a special place in the Vallite people's heart, especially those with a military background, for their forefathers were the ones who built the entire fort from the ground up.

Of course, the name Fort Anobaith was created and christened by Anankos, and despite herself, Azura couldn't agree more with its name. Anobaith meant 'despair' in the ancient Valla dialect, and despite it once being a beacon of hope for the Vallite people, now, it was nothing more than a prison. A hell. Despair.

Azura squinted into the darkness, taking care not to lose her balance and fall over the precipice their entire party was standing on. Before them was another, much smaller island, relatively unmarked and free of the horrors of Anankos' final stand. Despite the dark, she could easily make out a fort, standing tall and strong even after a millennia of war, time, and mad gods. The fort took up most of the land on the island, so it looked as if the fort was merely floating in the air.

Before them, the land comes to an abrupt end, a hundred-foot chasm separating their island from the landmass where the fort was built on. A rickety-looking wooden bridge connected their island to that of the forts, and below them, a swath of dark purple clouds pulsed and throbbed, almost as if it were alive. Flickers of what appeared the be lightning flashed every so often, and Azura couldn't help but feel a queasy feeling in her stomach at the sight. Azura looked up as a flicker of light caught her eye.

"Did you see that?" Takumi whispered. "That light! In the fort. Did anyone else see it?"

Leo nodded grimly. "I did," he muttered. "That means that there's still someone alive in there. We'd best free them as soon as possible. It'll be a damn shame for us to stop now that we're so close, but we'd best take care. We don't want to walk into a trap."

"If it would comfort you, I could always scout out the area beforehand," Kaze offered. "Hoshidan ninjas are trained in the art of stealth and reconnaissance, so it'll be no problem for me to check out the area and report back."

"No, too risky," Leo said, rubbing his chin as he looked down at the map he held in his hands. "You're Corrin's retainer, and despite the fact that I am your superior, I'm not comfortable sending off my brother's friends on what could be a suicide mission."

"Prince Leo, I'm—"

"This place was used as a _prison_ , Kaze," Leo continued. "That means what guards posted here are trained to keep intruders out and prisoners in, usually both at the same time. I'm sure you remember your captivity, do you not?"

Kaze grimaced as his mind flashed back to the first time he met his liege. "Of course not. Such a memory would be engrained in everyone's mind. It's not everyday you see the son of a mad king spare you your life."

Leo nodded curtly. "I didn't think so," he said. "I don't doubt your abilities as a ninja, but for this operation, I would prefer charging in as a group over sending in a single scout just so we can work our way around the enemy's weaknesses."

"Are you sure that's the best way to go about things, Leo?" Azura asked. "Kaze's got a point. We don't know anything about this fort, and any sort of information could help us. If there's a trap—"

"There won't be any traps, I'm certain," Leo said, nodding. "Normally, I wouldn't use such a risky tactic, but—correct if I'm wrong—but wouldn't it make sense for Anankos to use undead soldiers as guards?"

Azura frowned. "Yes…? What about them?"

"Remember what happened to them when Corrin put down Anankos?" Leo asked. "They all died. They all vanished for good. Why couldn't the same happen to the guards?"

"Lord Leo has a good point," Lilith said gently as she floated down from above, resting on Lord Leo's head. "Those undead soldiers were bound to Anankos' lifeforce and once he died, it's more than likely that the prison guards would've died too."

"See?" Leo said smugly, walking backwards away from Azura and Kaze and shrugging mockingly. "Trust me, when it comes to the topic of tactics, even Corrin isn't my equal."

"Yet you lost three games of chess against him," Niles said, coughing into his hand.

Leo turned and pointed menacingly towards his retainer. "Watch it, Niles," he warned. "Just because you're dead inside doesn't mean I can't make you feel pain the likes of which you've never experienced before."

It was a hollow threat, and every knew it, but despite that knowledge, everyone shuddered inwardly. Lilith was the one who separated the two men by rising from Leo's head, prompting him to look where she was floating towards the rope bridge.

"Where are you going?" he called after her.

"Checking on the bridge's condition," she replied. "This bridge was old even when Fort Anobaith was built, and it has a reputation for having planks breaking at the most inopportune times."

"So we'll be crossing across the literal depths of hell…on an _artifact_ ," Leo drawled, rolling his eyes and looking nervously into the deep purple soup below them.

Takumi frowned. "Wait a second—how do you know that?" he asked. "I get if you know about Anankos, since you dragons probably have some sort of communication between you guys, but how about things like where the slaves are and the state of the _bridge,_ for gods sake. First the existence and purpose of these slaves, then the name of their prison, and now the condition of the _bridge_ leading to said prison? I'm not trying to call you out here…but I'm going to call you out here. If Azura didn't know about this, then how could you?"

"Takumi!" Azura objected as Lilith wilted, curling her tail nervously around the orb in her paws. "Just because I happened to know one or two things about Valla doesn't mean I know _everything_ about my homeland!"

"I know," Takumi said simply. "But all I'm saying is that it strikes me as odd as to how Lilith can know something so trivial when _you're_ supposed to be the one telling us this."

Both Azura and Lilith stammered for an answer as everyone glanced at them. Takumi was about to say something else before Leo suddenly interrupted him by stepping between the Hoshidan prince and the dragon.

"Listen, Takumi," he started, resting a hand on Takumi's shoulders. "Lilith's been a loyal attendant of Corrin's for most of his life. There's no way she'll be able to willingly betray us, since she knows that if she does, I'll be the one going after her, right?" He looked back toward Lilith and Azura, who upon catching the knowing look in the Nohrian prince's eye, began nodding.

"O-of course, Lord Leo," Lilith stammered.

Takumi rolled his eyes. "Since when were you the one to be all trusting of people?" he asked.

"I'm not trusting of all people," Leo countered. "Only a select few, and Lilith has the honor of ranking in the top ten of that list. She's served the Nohrian family faithfully for years now, over a decade, and you start turning on her just because she knows a little bit more than what you were expecting? That's not logically sound, Takumi. Not. Logically. Sound."

Takumi sighed and pushed himself away from Leo. "I'm not trying to accuse her of anything, alright?" he said. "It's probably just this place making me more paranoid than usual, but c'mon. It's better to be prepared for failure than it is to achieve victory without preparations, right?"

"Now, since when did you start becoming all philosophical?" Leo asked. "I never pegged you to be much for idioms and sayings, Takumi."

"I'm not," Takumi retorted. "All I'm saying is that we should be prepared for anything, and if that includes grilling Lilith about her past, then so be it."

Lilith gently floated over and bumped Takumi with her head. "I understand what you're concerned about, but please, believe me when I say that I would never betray Corrin or his family. Your safety is my number one priority right now. There's nothing fear from me."

Takumi looked up at for a moment, pondering, before finally sighing. "…Fine. I'll trust you. For now."

It was better than nothing.

* * *

They carefully begin to trickle across the bridge, one by one. The bridge was far too old for all of them to cross at once, and based on Takumi's previous experience with a similar bridge, none of them wanted to go across without Lilith floating behind them ready to snatch them up should they fall.

But even with the little dragon floating alongside her, Azura couldn't help but feel her throat choking up as she steps daintily from one plank to the other, never resting on one plank for more than a few seconds. Finally, she reaches the end, where everyone else was already waiting for her. Azura carefully hops onto solid ground, waiting for Laslow as he begins his journey across. She was the second to last one to cross the bridge, with Laslow being the last.

It was with some interest that she noticed how the normally cheerful swordsman's face blanched the instant he stepped onto the bridge. His actions slow and robotic, his face so pale as to match the shade of his hair, Laslow slowly made his way across, inch by inch, pull by pull.

In this slow manner, he continued, until he was within arm's reach of Odin and Selena, who were reaching out to him. He leaned forward to take his hand…when a loud, splintering sound echoed around them. The plank beneath Laslow's boots crumbled into dust as the retainer instinctively snatched his arm back to grab onto the rope as the bridge began to groan and sway dramatically. Everyone took a half-step forward as Laslow squeezed his eyes shut and clung onto the rope so hard, his knuckles started to turn right.

"Laslow!" Odin shouted. "Laslow! Hold on!"

"Come on! Jump!" Leo called, reaching out with his arms.

Laslow did nothing but clutched even tighter to the strand of rope between his fingers, shaking his head. His eyes were squeezed tight, and a cold sweat was starting to break out upon his forehead. Azura frowned when she saw how Laslow refused to move.

"What's going on?" she asked. "Why isn't he moving?"

"Panic attack," Selena grunted. "He's…he's never been fond of rope bridges, especially since he and Odin were almost killed on one, but—"

Whatever else she was going to say was cut off as the ropes snapped.

"Laslow! _Move!"_ Takumi shouted.

Fast as a snake, Odin whipped out the rescue stave Elise had loaned him and began to chant in his arcane language. Azura clutched instinctively onto the back of Silas' shoulder as she watched the shrinking form of Laslow disappearing into the cloud.

As Laslow's scream faded into nothingness, a flash of light suddenly emerged and with a poof of dust, Laslow slammed into the ground behind them. Everyone jumped and turned to see Laslow on the ground, groaning in pain.

Odin and Selena were instantly by his side, the former of whom was resting a hand on Laslow's shoulder. Everyone else gathered around the three, each checking to make sure Laslow was okay.

"Laslow! Are you alright?" Silas asked. He crouched down next to Odin and gently shook him. "Laslow! Can you hear me!"

"I'm…I'm fine," Laslow coughed, wincing as he sat up. "Can't say the same thing for my tailbone though," he added, rubbing his rump.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Laslow was alright.

"What happened?" Oboro asked. "You just…sort of froze up back there."

Laslow chuckled humorlessly as he brushed his hair out of his eyes, refusing to make eye contact. "Let's just say…rope bridges and me don't mix."

Takumi crossed his arms. "Seems like you have the same problem as I do."

"No, no, it's not that rope bridges just happen to fall apart around me," Laslow said, waving away Takumi's words. "Let's…just say that after a…certain event that occurred to me in the past, I've never really trusted rope bridges."

"You didn't have a problem crossing one when we first came to Valla," Silas noted. "What's different this time?"

"Well, the first time, I…didn't _really_ cross the bridge," Laslow said, embarrassed. He rubbed the back of his head. "You see, Odin offered to cast a teleportation spell to transport me and him over to the other side, so that's how we got across."

"Does Odin have the same problem too?" Hinata asked. "Sorry if it's too personal, but—"

"Nay, I do not!" Odin protested.

"S-sorry! I-I wasn't—"

"Odin Dark fears nothing save for fear itself!" Odin proclaimed, striking a heroic pose. "How dare you accuse me of having an aversion to—ow! What was that for?"

Selena crossly slapped Odin's arm. "Quiet!" she hissed. "I don't know if you know this or not, but we're supposed to _sneak_ our way into this prison, not barge in like we're part of a parade or something!"

"She's right," Kaze said, nodding. "It would be prudent for us if we were to continue forward." And without waiting for objections, the green-haired ninja strode forward, towards the yawning gates in front of the fort.

Silas stood up from where he was kneeling besides Laslow. Looking down at the gray-haired man, he asked, "Can you walk?"

Laslow frowned as he unsteadily got to his feet. Almost immediately, his hand pressed into his chest as it suddenly became strangely hard for him to breath.

He waved away the concerned glances Odin, Silas, Azura, and Selena gave him. "Yeah, I can."

"Are you sure?" Azura asked. "You seem to have trouble breathing."

"It'll pass," Laslow said, walking after Silas. "It always does."

Azura shared a concerned glance with Odin and Selena before following after him. Silas rose and eyebrow but said nothing as he wrenched his lance out of the ground where he had stuck it in. True to his words, as Laslow walked, his breath came easier, and he straightened up. He looked nothing like the man who just had a panic attack on a rope bridge.

Even without walking into the fort, Azura could tell that Fort Anobaith was similar in construction to the fort they had encountered their first time invading Valla. Like the first fort, Fort Anobaith was barely more than four walls stacked together, leaving the center courtyard exposed to the elements. Also like the first fort, there was a cathedral of sorts rising above the walls, most likely where the commander or general would do their work, separate from the other inhabitants of the building.

Unlike the first fort, however, Fort Anobaith was much, _much_ larger. The entirety of the first fort could've fit snugly within Fort Anobaith's courtyard alone, and that wasn't even counting how large the cathedral was compared to the one her mother had commanded over.

However, over the ages, the tower had collapsed, exposing the rooms to the elements. Pieces of rubble and debris, artifacts of a civilaization long forgotten by both Hoshido and Nohr, jutted out from the infrastructure of the tower, exposing them to the open air.

In front of them was a massive wooden gate, with its iron portcullis long since torn off and cast aside. The wood looked as old as one would expect. The gate wasn't hard to open. On the contrary, Kaze and Silas barely needed to lay a finger on the massive wooden gate before it suddenly fell inward, creating a huge cloud of dust when it landed.

Everyone jumped at the resulting _boom_. As the dust settled, Leo brought out Bryhildr and cast _Lumos_. He leaned forward so the light could reveal more of the darkened fort, but to his concern, the rest of the fort remained just as dark and foreboding.

Kaze frowned as he knelt down next to a dusty footprint. He gently touched a finger to the boot's outline. "This was recent," he muttered. "See how it's still here despite all the dust?"

"Dust?" Takumi asked. He turned towards Lilith. "I thought you said this was where Anankos kept some of his slaves?"

"He…he did," Lilith said, a slight frown on her face. "At least, I thought he did here."

"Which means it was bound to be used recently, right?" Takumi asked. "So then why is there so much dust on the floor here?"

Before Lilith could respond, they heard a slithering scraping sound, akin to someone drawing a sword, but more ominously, an echo of a woman's scream.

Azura did not think; she flung herself in the opposite direction, her right hand twirling her naginata in her hand before setting it in a battle-ready stance. Silas and Takumi were nearly as fast. Takumi had already rolled to the side and nocked an arrow into Fujin Yumi and was now pointing it into the darkness whereas Silas took up a defensive position next to where Kae had been kneeling. The green-haired ninja suddenly reappeared next to Azura, a trio of shurikens clutched and ready in his hand. A slight rustle sounded behind them, signaling to Azura that the rest of their party was ready.

They froze, waiting for an attack.

Azura's heart pounded and his muscles trembled as she searched the darkness for the slightest hint of motion.

"Takumi," said Leo. "Release your arrow. We'll use the light from it to see what that was."

Takumi nodded and did as Leo asked, releasing the arrow into the darkness. The corridor was lit up in varying shades of green as the arrow whistled into the darkness before it vanished.

Leo released up his pent-up breath as he closed Bryhildr. "Nothing," he sighed.

"What was that?" Hinata asked.

"Like I said, probably nothing," Leo said. "Probably a plate or shale or something that fell inside."

"Well, why would a something fall if there was nothing inside?" Takumi asked.

Silence.

It was Selena who finally spoke up. "Are we all going to ignore the fact that we heard a woman scream inside?" she asked. "I'm pretty sure a rock falling isn't going to make that sort of sound."

"I don't know…" Hinata said nervously. "I'll go wherever Lord Takumi goes, but old abandoned forts with echoes of people screaming inside? Sounds like something Lady Azura would take interest in."

"Then why not make her go in first?" Niles drawled. "It'll be like a trip to the amusement park for her."

"First off, that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," said Azura. "Secondly, just because I happen to enjoy horror stories doesn't mean I'm willing to place myself in the shoes of the people who are usually murdered."

"This is a waste of time," Takumi snapped, shaking his head. "There's people still inside and we're out here debating over a sound we may or may not have heard. How about, instead of bickering out here, we _all_ move in at once? We're all adults here, _and_ we've faced down a dragon god bent on destroying the world, so _why in the blazes_ are we all out here dithering like children? Are we going to save them or not?"

"Takumi, _calm down_ ," Azura said, resting a hand on her stepbrother's shoulder. "It's _fine_. We'll find them. We…we just need a few moments to recover from what just happened with Laslow and that sound."

Takumi bit his lips, clearly unhappy at waiting any longer, but nodded silently. Azura patted him gently on the shoulder as she nodded in approval.

Sighing and leaning against a small pile of rubble, Azura looked up when she saw Silas looking down at her. "Yes?" she asked.

Silas said nothing but rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. "Lady Azura…I just wanted to check in on you real quick, since, you know, Corrin ordered me and Kaze to watch over you while we're down here, but I couldn't help but feel as if we've…haven't been talking all that much."

The last part of his sentence was raised, as if he was about to ask a question.

Azura frowned and tilted her head. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Silas' face tightened as he leaned back against another piece of rubble, setting his lance beside himself. "Well, we didn't really talk much during the war besides me, y'know, accusing you of being a spy and—"

"Are you still hung over this?" Azura interrupted. Her eyes widened as she realized what she just said and did. "Oh—sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt you like that. Please forgive—"

Silas shook his head. "Nah, you're fine. I can see why Corrin fell for you."

An odd pulsing sensation raced through Azura's chest.

"You seem like a really nice person," Silas continued, oblivious to the churning Azura felt in her body at his previous statement. "Nice, smart, caring. And since I plan on serving Corrin after the war…and since there's a pretty good chance you two'll probably marry soon, I got a feeling that Felicia and I are going to see you a lot more than we did during the war, you know?"

Azura felt that pulse run through her body again. "O-oh! T-thank you," she stammered. She fell into an awkward pause. "You're…you're pretty nice too."

Silas rose an eyebrow at her suddenly-flushed appearance, but smiled and chuckled. "Yeah, well, I guess when you consider your best friend to be your role model, you sort of pick up a few things from him, huh?"

"Your best friend?" Azura asked.

 _Now_ Silas rose an eyebrow. "Uh, Corrin? I've considered him as my best friend for nearly my entire life now. Didn't you hear about how, when I was banned from playing with Corrin as a child, I wanted to become a Knight of Nohr just so I could serve him again?"

"I…I remember you telling me something about that," Azura admitted. "Though truth be told, I…I didn't really care at the time. Sorry."

For a second, she thought she had offended him, but before he could reply, Silas looked up to see Kaze walking quietly towards them.

"I've scouted through the first floor of the tower and the center courtyard" the ninja explained. "There's no sign of life, but it may be possible that Anankos kept the slaves—"

Another scream, male this time, echoed from within the fort. Instantly, Silas and Azura were on their feet. Azura noticed that everyone else was already ready to go, and it was only her and Silas who were still unprepared.

"That definitely did not sound like a piece of rock falling," Azura noted drily.

"You don't say…" Silas muttered. Turning to address everyone else, Silas called, "Alright! We're heading in! Kaze already checked the center courtyard and first floor of the tower, which means we're responsible for checking the rest. I want two teams of four checking the tower while one team of three checks the rest of the courtyard."

"You sure that's smart?" Hinata asked. "I mean, wouldn't it make more sense for us to stick together? Safety in numbers and all that stuff."

"It'll be too slow," Azura said. "Whoever was screaming, it sounded like they were in pain, which means we have the find them. _Fast._ Splitting up may be the most optimal method."

"Prince Takumi, take your retainers and Kaze with you," Silas commanded. "Lord Leo, take—"

"No need," Leo interrupted. "Niles, Odin, Selena. The three of you, with me. We'll check out the second floor."

Takumi nodded. "Then we'll take the third floor." Turning towards Azura and Silas, he asked, "What about you two?"

"Azura, Laslow, and I are going to check the battlements and the corner towers," Silas explained. Looking up at Lilith, he said, "As for you…you can come with us, I suppose."

Lilith nodded hesitatingly, giving a concerned glance towards Laslow, who had unsheathed his sword. "Gladly."

Silas sighed as he swept his messy hair out of his face. "Alright then! You all have your directions! Go!"

* * *

"This sure is creepy," Laslow said dryly as he, Azura, Silas, and Lilith padded through the corridors within the fort walls. "Reminds me of the time me, Odin, and another friend of ours got caught out in a temple."

"What were you doing there?" Lilith asked, unable to keep her curiosity to herself.

They were currently walking below one of the wooden battlements constructed behind the wall. The wooden floorboards would've allowed defenders to stand behind the wall to shoot arrows at the enemy while also giving other defenders on the ground level an easy way to climb up and down. They did so with stairs, which unfortunately rotted away hundreds of years ago, leaving piles of splinters scattered behind the walls, forcing them to rely on Lilith.

Now, they were walking alongside the fort battlements, fifteen or so feet off the ground. As they walked, the rotten plankboards creaked and groaned dangerously, forcing them to lean on the battlements for support and taking long, careful steps. Thankfully, none of them had broken yet, sending them plunging to the ground below.

Yet.

In the corner of her eye, Azura could see the silhouettes of Leo, Niles, Odin, and Kaze ducking into the fort tower.

Azura gripped her naginata tighter in her hands as Laslow shrugged. "Really can't say," he replied. "It's supposed to be a secret, partly because of professional reasons, but…also because it's sort of embarrassing…for both parties."

"Quiet, both of you," Silas muttered, raising up his right hand which was closed in a fist. A halt.

They were standing in front of the doors leading into one of the tall towers built in the corners of the fort. Unlike the wooden gate they had gone through to enter the fort, this door looked recent, almost new.

The four of them exchanged concerned looks with each other as they each unsheathed their weapons. Laslow unsheathed his sword while Silas rested his lance on the floor next to the battlements.

Judging from the tower's appearance from outside, the tower would be far too narrow and cramped for weapons like Azura's naginata or Silas' lance. Azura reluctantly withdrew a small dagger, about half the length of her forearm out of the bodices of her dress, a result of Corrin urging her to have more protection besides one large, glorified metal stick and a pendant cursed to sap her life energy. She never liked getting up close and personal with her foes, if she ever had to fight, and even then, she preferred her naginata over something that barely extended her reach.

Silas, on the other hand, scowled as he unsheathed the stout shortsword. He never liked swords. Back at the academy, the one weapon he consistently had problems with was with shortswords. It wasn't that he couldn't use them—he could use them as well as any other knight, yes—but it never felt quite _right_ in his hand. Time and time again, he found that he did better with lances and other longer swords than with shortswords.

Laslow twirled his sword around, fidgeting. It was with some interest that Azura noted that unlike how Xander, Ryoma, or even Corrin held their respective weapons, Laslow preferred holding his blade in a reverse grip.

The philanderer said that it was "for the looks," and Azura agreed that it did provide the gray-haired man a unique sense of...style, she guess she could call it. Laslow's style of swordplay was…more smooth and connected together compared to the other people Azura watched fight before, though nowhere near as fluid as Corrin. Corrin preferred more powerful blows, letting them flow smoothly into each other as he contorted his body in battle, as if he was an experienced bartender pouring water from one cup to another. Laslow simply looked like he was flipping the cups all about himself before setting the mug down, leaving the table sodden and dripping wet. Laslow preferred stringing his attacks together so quickly, by the time Azura realized what had happened, the enemy was more often than not lying dead or bleeding out on the floor before him.

"You might want to get behind us, Lady Azura," Laslow warned. "I know you want to help, but you're a dancer, not a fighter."

Azura bit back a caustic retort at being called a dancer but fell in behind Silas and Laslow. With a grunt, Laslow kicked open the door, sending splinters flying everywhere.

Quietly, the three rushed in, taking care to remain as silent as possible. Once they made sure that the room they were in was devoid of enemies, they made their way upwards, towards the uppermost room.

As expected, despite the treasure trove of dust, rotten wood, and, more ominously, skeletons, they found no signs of the slaves. They made their way back down to the room where they had entered from.

Silas frowned as he shook his head. He was about to lean against a table, but remembering the piles of splinters that had once been chairs and stools, elected to lean against the doorway.

"I don't understand," he muttered. "Lilith said this was supposed to be where the slaves were, right? Then how come we can't find them?"

"I…I swore I remember Anankos torturing here before," Lilith said quietly from where she was bobbing peacefully in the air. "Maybe there's a place we haven't checked yet?"

"Doubt it," Laslow said, sheathing his sword. "The way Silas planned for us to go through this fort, we would've covered every square inch by now. The only way the slaves could've eluded us would've been if they were buried underground."

Silas shuddered at the thought. "You don't actually think—"

"Hey, it's just an idea," Laslow said, shrugging. "Unless there's a secret door or something, I don't think there's anything underneath us."

The three of them looked up as they heard footsteps thumping towards. Niles poked his head in, and uttered a low whistle at the kicked-off door. " _Whew_. Didn't know we could trash this place. I thought you'd have more respect for the dead, Laslow."

"I do," Laslow said coldly. "More than you would know."

Niles smirked and shrugged. "Whatever. I'm just here to tell you that Odin and Lord Leo found something in the tower that you might wanna check out."

"What did he find?" Azura asked.

Niles smirk told them that he had overheard their conversation. "Oh, nothing much. Just a _secret_ _door._ "

And just like that, the archer was gone. They heard a faint _whump_. Niles must've jumped off the battlements and onto the ground below. Laslow shook his head in disbelief.

"I just had to open my damn mouth."

"Are you saying you don't want save the slaves?" Azura asked.

"Of course I do," Laslow replied. "It just looks like I have a habit of everything I say becoming true."

Silas rose up from where he rested and lightly slugged Laslow in the arm. "Come on, you. Quit your griping and let's get down there. The faster we get this over with, the faster you can see Peri fully recovered again."

 _That_ put a spring in the retainer's gait. "I know you're trying to cheer me up and all, but wow, you really did cheer me up!" Laslow said as he walked out.

Silas and Azura shared a confused look with each other before following Laslow out. As they exited the building, Silas stooped to pick up his lance and Azura's naginata. He tossed it to her, and she muttered a word of thanks as they made their way down to where Leo and Odin were standing next to an open trapdoor, deep in conversation.

"Who knows what sort of demons or fiends could rest within these ancient boundaries!" they heard Odin say. "I _highly_ advise you to at least let Kaze or somebody else scout it out before you so foolhardily charge down there."

"I'm not _going_ to charge down there," was Leo's exasperated reply. I just wanted to cast a spell to illuminate the passage before we head in."

"I never thought Odin would be much for actually doing his job and protecting Leo," Azura said somewhat absentmindedly to Silas.

"Hm? Oh! Yeah, I thought the same as you, but that was before I saw Odin tear apart an entire flank of rogue Faceless with nothing more than a dull sword and his spell tome," Silas replied. "Don't let his antics fool you, milady. Odin is a very capable mage and an even more capable swordsman. Why he never took the blade is beyond me…"

Azura's mind flashed back to when Owain, Severa, and Inigo told her of their past. "I wonder the same…" she said quietly.

"What'd you find?" Silas asked upon nearing the two men.

Leo looked up from where he was staring at the ground, contemplating. "Odin found a passageway leading down into the Earth. We've searched the entire tower and then sum, but we weren't able to find the source of those screams."

"You think that passageway Odin found leads down to the slaves?" Azura asked, her eyebrows rising.

"I do not think!" Odin proclaimed loudly. "I merely _know_ that those slaves are down there!"

"That first part sure is true," Selena muttered under her breath.

They all turned to see Takumi, Selena, Hinata, and Oboro returning from their search.

"Did you find any trace of the slaves?" Laslow asked.

Takumi shook his head. "But we did find a little something else though…" He showed them a patch of paper with scribbles on it; it looked like a set of blueprints. "I took a look through it and apparently not only _is_ there another floor below us, but the Vallite guard who was in charge here received an order to 'begin cleansing.'"

"' _Cleansing?'"_ Leo asked, his eyes almost popping out of his sockets. "Did you say cleansing?"

Takumi shoved the paper back into his pocket. "Yep. That only means one thing."

"Wait, I'm lost," Selena said, glaring at each and every one of them. "What does cleaning have to do with finding the slaves?"

"They're planning on killing off the slaves!" Kaze said, realization dawning on his face. "They're going to wipe them all out!"

"But that's impossible!" Azura protested. "All the undead guards died with Anankos! How could his puppets carry out his will if they all died with him?"

Lilith dove between them. "Anankos had many human servants before, both living and dead, remember? Remember how I told you how Iago was one of those who willingly served Anankos? There could be many more just like him."

"I thought you said that most of them served him out of fear!" Takumi said.

"Most refers a majority, but not all, Prince Takumi," Kaze said calmly. A line of sweat breaking out on his forehead was the only indication that he was stressed about the slaves. " _Most_ of them could've served Anankos, but _some_ could still be willing to carry out his will, even after their master's death."

"We have to head down there," Silas said. "We can't just let them die down there!"

"For once, I'm willing to discard caution," Leo said. "We need to get down there. _Now."_

There was no argument, no questions, no hesitation. As one, they all drew their weapons and rushed after Odin and Leo, who were ALREADY dashing towards the passageway they found.

The "passageway" itself was a rectangular hole in the wall, leading down to gods-know-where. It was only later that Azura realized that, save for a set of relatively recent footprints and a faint outline of the vacuum in the wall, it would've been almost impossible for them to have discovered it. To have Odin discover it, of all people, was equally amazing.

Azura panted for breath as they ran. Around the, the walls and ceiling changed from dirt to patterned stonework, the shoddy wooden scaffolding holding up the earth changing to dimly lit torches. Below them, the stairsteps changed from rotten wood to hard stone, and soon, they were not running in a passage way, but a fully operational, fully lit dungeon, complete with barred cells on either side. The corridor itself stretched on for what Azura guessed was close to half a mile. The ceiling was low, barely tall enough for her to plant her naginata upright.

As they ran past one of the cells, Azura stole a glance at its contents. What she saw almost made her want to cry out.

Three heads stared unseeingly back at her on the floor.

A man's.

A woman's.

A…a baby's.

Their bodies slumped against one another's, the man lying over the woman's, who clutched limply at the miniature body she once held in her arms. The sight caused Azura's heart to wrench, and judging by their increased pace around her, it was obvious the rest of the group saw similar, if not worse sights.

 _If there was anything worse than that…_ Azura thought to herself.

As they dashed through the corridor, Azura chanced another glance at the contents of each cell. Each one contained slaves, all dead, and all horribly disfigured. Azura coughed and wrinkled her nose at the smell.

At the end of the corridor, another scream rang out, shrill, pitched, and full of terror.

A child's

Then, just as quickly, the scream cut out, along with the sound of a heavy axe striking something flesh. A choked gurgle rang out before something fell to the ground. A cloaked figure shambled out of one of the cells in front of them as another chorus of scream echoed from the cell across from the cell the figure just exited. A bloody axe hung from the figure's fingers.

"You there!" Silas shouted. "Stop!"

The figure flinched and turned towards them, surprise and uncertainty setting in.

 _Good. At least we know it's somewhat human._

The figure planted its axe into the floor and pulled out something from within the folds of its cloak. Leo's eyes widened as he realized that it was an _Thoron_ tome.

"Everyone! Get down!"

The entire chamber shook around them as a thunderous _boom_ clapped their ears. Azura screamed in pain as she flung herself to the ground. A brilliant light shot over her, and the hair on the nape of her neck stood up. In the haze, she was dimly aware of the others reacting the same way. Thankfully, there was no smell of burnt flesh.

A flicker of movement caught her attention as Laslow rushed past their prone bodies, his body low to the ground and his blade already unsheathed and ready to bathe. Laslow charged towards the figure, who was now trying to back up, panicking.

The figure stumbled backwards, struggling to pick up the axe from where he had planted it into the ground. Azura could tell it was male, based on the deepness of his tone when he had cast the spell. He soon gave up trying to free his axe from the confines of the earth and instead reached into his cloak. He managed to pull out some sort of dagger, but before he could do much more than unsheathe it, Laslow swung his swung sword inward in a brutal horizontal slash across the ground.

The figured cried out as blood splattered the floor and ceiling. An arm fell limply to the ground, soon followed by a splash of blood, and after that, intestines. The figure clutched at the gaping hole in his mid-section as he said something to Laslow. What he said, Azura wasn't sure. Her head and ears continued to ring, but Laslow seemed like he responded, nodding curtly.

What was visible of the figure's face turned into a scowl, but his life soon ended as he collapsed onto the floor. Laslow sighed and stumbled backwards, falling to the ground as the consequences of his actions hit him. Hard.

Azura and the rest of the party slowly got to their feet as they shambled over to where Laslow was resting.

"You damned fool," Odin muttered, kneeling down to Laslow and resting a comforting hand on his shoulder. " _Why_ would you try to rush down a mage using _Thunder_ attacks?"

"I…I thought I could beat him down before he could shoot off another one," Laslow coughed, accepted Silas' outstretched hand.

Grunting as he got to his feet, Silas allowed Laslow to lean on him for support. He opened his mouth to say something, probably something to poke fun at the gray-haired retainer, before he realized that they weren't the only ones alone in the dungeon.

"Azura? Look around us."

* * *

"How many of you were there again?"

"There…there were supposedly five hundred souls in this one," the Vallite rasped from where Silas had set him down against the wall. "Now…I don't even know how many of us are still…alive."

Suddenly, the Vallite reached out to grab Silas by the shoulder. For an emaciated man, the Vallite still had a surprising amount of strength of, and Silas struggled to keep himself from falling.

"Tell me…is my family still alive?"

"Your…your family?"

The man nodded fervently. "Yes, my wife. My daughter. They are of the Anastas, line, are they not?"

Silas gently rested his hand over the man's hand as he pried himself away. "I-I'm sorry, sir, but I—"

"P-please, just call me Basil."

"I-I'm sorry, Basil, but…but I don't ever recall hearing anyone with that name before."

"Oh…"

Crestfallen, the man's hand fell limply to the ground as he buried his face in his knees and drew his knobbly knees closer to his chest. Then, slowly, he began to cry.

Azura felt her heart bleed for the man, and she forced herself to turn away.

All of the slaves they had rescued from their cells so far had the same golden, amber-colored eyes as her, their ratty and greasy hair hanging in clumps from their heads. Once upon a time, they all would've had many colorful shades of hair, from Nohrian blonde to Hoshidan black to everything in between.

But no azure blue though. Nobody had azure blue hair anymore.

The Vallite slave's faces are thin and malnourished, and when they had tried to free them from their prisons at first, they turned a fearful and primal face towards them, shrinking away and pressing themselves into the furthest corner they could find. Azura's heart twinges with pity at what her people had become.

It was only until she showed her pendant around that they began to trust the, albeit slightly. Slowly, one-by-one, they freed them from their cells, and slowly, one-by-one, each and every one of them scampered up to Azura, asking to see her pendant and to kiss the floor between her feet, exuberant at seeing the last remaining member of the Rheos family alive and well, even if it's been nearly over a decade since they've last seen her.

"Azura?"

She turns to see Laslow and Odin limping towards her, the former leaning on the latter.

"Yes?" she asked, struggling to keep her voice from shaking.

"We…we found something that you'll want to see."

Azura followed them without hesitation. Anything to free her from the sight of her malnourished and despondent people.

They stopped by the body of the figure. Already, the smell of death and decay clung heavy to his cloak, and it was all she could do to prevent herself from wrinkling her nose and covering it with her hand.

"What about him?" she asked.

Wordlessly, Odin knelt down and threw back the figure's cloak, revealing the scarred and perpetually-scowling face of Hans.

Azura's eyes widened and she fell backwards, her hands moving unbidden to her mouth as she recalled the visage of the man who had slaughtered countless Hoshidans and Nohrians who chose to fight for Corrin. "Hans?" she whispered. "What is he doing here?"

"We don't know," Odin said grimly. "I thought I was the one smite him down, and yet, here he is. Still carrying out his addiction to torture and killing." The normally optimistic mage's face twisted into something like disgust towards the end of his sentence.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Laslow asked.

She shook her head silently, still too shocked to speak.

"It means…well, let's just say that even though we _saw_ Hans die, it may be possible that Anankos…resurrected him, in a way."

"Re…resurrected?"

"This branch of magic is indeed one of the most complex and morally ambiguous," Odin said, frowning. "Many a scholar have debated among themselves over whether or not using magic to extend someone's personal vitality beyond their normal lifespan was possible or not, or even if it was considered morally sound. Death, after all, is a sacred and constant part of human lives."

"How…are you saying that someone _resurrected_ Hans?" Azura asked. "Why would anyone do that?"

"That's the part we're concerned about," Laslow said. "Obviously, Anankos has _some_ hand in this, what with his entire army being made up of Risen and all that…but for one of his undead servants to continue doing his bidding even after his death? That's…that's the part where we're unsure about."

Azura frowned and was about to open her mouth to ask another question before she heard Takumi call her name. "We'll talk about this later," she said to Odin and Laslow. "Corrin's going to want to hear this."

"All of it?" Odin asked. "Even about us?"

" _Especially_ about you three," Azura said before walking over to where Takumi was waiting.

"What do you need?" she asked once she was within earshot.

Takumi said nothing but stepped to the side to reveal a pale old man, who looked to be in his late-forties, early fifties. So emaciated and painfully skinny was he, that the man was able to wholly hide behind Takumi's slender frame without much effort, His long silver hair, now streaked with white, was parted neatly to both sides of his scalp with the ends of it tucked into a long ponytail, and his clothes were mostly handmade.

Azura noted with some interest that despite his pitiful appearance, when the man saw her, he drew himself up as far as he could and thrust his chest out. There was an air of nobility to him, and Azura couldn't help but feel intrigued as he spoke his first words to her.

"Greetings, Princess Azura," he said. His deep voice, while gravelly and torn, carried within his vocal lengths a degree of strength and dedication few men could hope to match. "My name is Otis. Otis Argyis at your service."

The old man bowed, his long greasy black hair falling to the ground over his face. "Please forgive me for being so forward. I was once your father's retainer, you see. I used to serve your family before 'King' Anankos came and murdered him." He spits the word "king" like it was poison. "When…when I heard rumors of how his wife and daughter managed to escape Valla when it fell...I…you have no idea what it means to me to see the Rheos family live on, even after The Decimation."

"The…Decimation?" Azura asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Behind her, Leo turned his head slightly as he listened to the conversation.

Otis nodded slowly, rubbing his chin. "Yes, yes…The Decimation as we called it. Anankos called it a cleansing, but I think we both know what it really was." His lips curled over his teeth and a spat a thin line of saliva onto the ground.

Almost immediately, his eyes widened and he bowed fervently. "Oh, please forgive me, my queen!" he cried. "I meant no disrespect, I swear! I was—"

"I'm not a queen," Azura said flatly, put-off by the older man's sudden change in behavior. "And you don't need to worry about disrespecting me by cursing Anankos' name. I've done the same, many times before in the past."

Otis coughed awkwardly as he straightened back out, his right hand at his hip to help alleviate some of the pain. The wonders of old age.

"Ah, my apologies, my que—"

"Milady is…fine…I guess," Azura said slowly, already feeling herself sweat as the other Vallites turned to look at them.

Hastily diverting the topic away from herself, she asked Otis, "So do you speak for those here?"

Otis nodded. "I do. Personally, not sure why, but I guess being Theo's retainer means you're automatically of a higher position than others here."

"Do…are you not comfortable with power?"

"Oh, I'm comfortable alright," Otis replied. "It's…it's always a feeling of satisfaction knowing that people trust you…yet…the question of 'what'll happen if I fail and they don't trust me anymore?' pops up more times than I would care for."

Azura pursed her lips. "I…I understand," she said. She knew that feeling, better than most.

Otis clapped his hands together and looked around, licking his lips. "You said you're not a queen yet, correct?"

Azura blinked in surprise. "…um, yes, that is correct."

"But yet you are of age, are you not?"

"I-I suppose. I'm twenty-three right now, so—"

"Which means there's most likely someone out there vying for your hand in marriage, correct?"

"Well, um, no, not really. He's not really _vying_ , and we already p-plan to marry, b-but he hasn't proposed yet, so—"

Otis' eyebrows lift up in delight. "Oh, so you are engaged!"

Azura shrinks back, her social anxiety now forcing her to back away. "W-well yes, b-but—"

Otis takes a moment to compose himself and clear his throat before turning away from her to address the Vallites looking at them with interest. "Our princess and her prince have returned to us!" he declared, his voice joyful and hopeful. "We are free men and women now! The wyrm Anankos is dead, and with him, our fear of him! We are free! Free, I say! Free!"

As one, every single Vallite in the corridor breaks out into cheers, causing the members of the search party tending to them to lift up their heads as they looked about in confusion.

Azura's skin prickles with discomfort at the _way_ her people look at her. They look at her like she's a savior, like she was the one who killed Anankos, when in reality, it was actually Corrin.

She felt her throat tighten at the empty space beside her, a space usually occupied by a certain half-dragon…

"Sir. _Sir._ "

Kaze rested a stern hand on Otis' shoulder, and the older man turns towards him. "Oh! I apologize, is there something milady needs?"

Kaze glanced towards Azura, who was trying to press herself as far as she could into the shadows. "Lady Azura…is not one for such…public declarations of herself. But I know a certain prince who is."

"Oh?" Otis' voice lifted with curiosity. "And would this prince's name be?"

Kaze smiled a gentle smile as he released Otis.

"Why, I'd think he'll be as recognizable as Lady Azura here…"

* * *

A/N: I'm pretty okay with how this chapter turned out. More so towards the end than the beginning, but it's whatevs. Also, some of you might've noticed that I took a page from The Apocryphal One's general plotline for rescuing the slaves! If anything, I'm more concerned about how I give each character enough screen time, so to speak. I'm hella paranoid that characters like Kaze, Silas, and later on, Otis, are going to feel bland and one-dimensional, when they're in actuality one of the driving forces behind Corrin and Azura's characters. I'm also concerned about how cinsistent my portray of Azura is. I think I did fine in this chapter, but I'm concerned about later on.

But that's just a bunch of ruffshod for now. I'll see y'all next week!


	34. Chapter 34

A/N: Sorry if this is low quality, but hey, I want to see fluff as much as you guys do. Also! Next chapter! Review answering! Shoot me those questions!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of the characters

* * *

"Knock knock."

Corrin groaned and lifted his head from his desk as Jakob's voice came from the other side of his door. "What do you want, Jakob?" the prince asked, the lack of proper sleep ever since he saw Azura and the rest of the search party off making him sound much more irritated than he was.

"Paperwork, milord," came Jakob's smooth voice.

"'Paperwork, milord' who?" Corrin groaned, his head falling back onto the massive pile of papers already piled on his desk as Jakob edged his way in, his hands full with another stack of papers.

Corrin groaned and leaned back in his chair and uttered a long, throaty noise of frustration. "More, Jakob?" he asked, almost pleading.

"Well, if it wasn't, then I wouldn't be here delivering you papers, now would it?" was Jakob's pithy reply. "As much as I pity your situation, there are many more papers I was supposed to deliver." Then, taking pity on Corrin's heartbroken expression, Jakob broke protocol to rest a supportive hand on his liege's shoulder.

"Don't worry," Jakob said. "I heard there's only two more deliveries of paperwork I need to give you today, milord. Once those are done, I'm sure you'll be able to take a well-deserved break."

Corrin groaned _again_ as he skimmed through the pile of papers Jakob had set on his mahogany desk.

"Is there anything milord wants right now?" Jakob asked, his hands tucked professionally behind his back as his eyes skimmed around the study.

"Besides an escape from this damnable hell?" Corrin asked.

"Yes, besides an escape from this damnable hell," Jakob parroted, a dry smile breaking out on the butler's face.

His eyes finally rested on a pile of crumpled-up paper balls behind Corrin's chair. As he automatically strode towards it to sweep the pile of trash into the bin, Corrin stopped him with a wave of his hand.

"Leave it," Corrin ordered.

"Milord, I highly suggest you—"

"It's an organized mess. It helps me think."

Jakob, unaccustomed to leaving a mess behind, but straightened back up. "You never answered my question," Jakob noted. "Do you want anything? Perhaps a drink or something to eat?"

Corrin shook his head as he flipped through a packet of papers. "I'm good for now," he said. "Just see if you can bring me a cup of coffee, please."

Jakob rose an eyebrow at the numerous empty mugs scattered around the office. "More coffee?"

Corrin didn't take his eyes off the paper but showed Jakob his dragonstone. "I'm only half-human, remember? That means human things only work half as effectively on me."

Jakob grappled with himself over Corrin's logical reasoning. "I'm…that's…I don't think…of course, Lord Corrin."

And just like that, he was gone, leaving Corrin to agonize alone in his study.

Corrin sighed and pushed his long white hair out of his face as he looked down at the stack of paper, reading through its contents.

Proposals for the name of New Valla's cities, questions regarding taxes and property ownerships for Nohrian and Hoshidan lords whose land were now considered part of New Valla's, borders for the new country, laws wanted by the people and laws disliked by the people. The list went on and on, and for once, Corrin's work ethic wavered.

He wanted nothing more than to see Azura, but with both her and Lilith gone in Valla, that was impossible. There was always a tiny part in his mind that wondered what would happen to everyone in the castle right now should Lilith just happen to conveniently forget about them for a few years.

He knew Lilith would never forget, but still, when he found himself drifting away from his work, he found himself asking more and more of these kinds of conceptual questions. Would they just rot away, like the original defenders had, or would they be trapped in the astral for all eternity? The original defenders, after all, were trapped here until they all starved to death, but now that the castle was being used again and was largely self-sufficient, it _could_ be possible that they could last much longer than the original inhabitants, but how long?

Corrin sighed as he dipped his third quill that day in a nearby inkpot, pushing those kinds of thoughts out of his mind. His eyes lazily skimmed over a handwritten note from some noble in Hoshido, threatening to take action if he was forced to share land with Nohr. Corrin sighed and simply crumpled the paper up into a ball and tossed it over shoulder, into the steadily growing pile of waste in the corner of his study.

Candy wrappers, plates of half-eaten snacks, and empty pots of coffee littered the room. According to Gunter and Xander, coffee was supposed to keep you awake, with something called caffeine supposed to keep your eyes open, but Corrin never found it to be as effective as his brothers described. At least drinking something so bitter was more than enough to keep his eyes open.

He never thought being king would be so _exhausting_. Sure, he knew that after the war, there would be a veritable wave of paperwork he'll need to deal with, especially since he's founding a new country, or rather, an old one, but this amount of work was starting to look less and less like a wave and more of a _tsunami._ Thankfully this was just the beginning stages, the careful planning and preparations for _becoming_ king. Ryoma and Xander both promised that the workload would lighten up significantly once New Valla actually existed in physical form and not just pen and paper, and that once this initial phase was over, he would have advisors to help.

"That would be nice," he said last night when Ryoma and Xander stopped by to pity him. "That would be nice if I actually _had_ advisors right now."

Ryoma and Xander had both looked at each other, both struggling not to smile at their brother's pain.

He's still somewhat bitter that he was all but imprisoned here in the astral planes while Azura, Takumi, Leo, and the rest of the search party was off in Old Valla, searching for the slaves. Sure, he knew it was probably no walk in the park, but if he had a choice between sifting through what felt like an entire library's worth of paperwork or trudging through the remains of a dead land, the choice was easy.

He's also disappointed that Gunter refused to see him. Though while his technical status as a prisoner meant literally anything he said was worth nothing compared to Corrin's own statements, he still found it…difficult to go against the wishes of someone who he once thought of as a father.

Corrin sighs in relief as he flipped through the last page of the packet he was reading through. The packet, easily over twenty pages long, detailed what _one_ Hoshidan daimyo expected to gain after the borders for New Valla was set up. Corrin rolled his eyes as he scrawled a hasty signature at the back.

 _One down, only fifty more of these to go…_

Valla would receive a new name, New Valla, since Corrin was simply too tired and lazy to find a better name for the hidden kingdom. Was it original? No. Did it work? Yes, definitely. The curse on the kingdom's name had died along with Anankos, but he still needed to find suitable names for the castle city, which would become Valla's new castle.

After what felt like an hour-long argument with himself, Corrin finally decided on New Gyges. Again, was it original? No. Did it work? As long as it meant Corrin could get to the rest of his work, he didn't care.

As he had proposed in their meeting two days ago, New Valla would be situated at the southern tip of The Bottomless Canyon, where it was the most narrow. Not only was this the spot where MyCastle existed in the real world, but it was also set next to the sea and between existing trade routes between Hoshido and Nohr, making it the perfect place to profit off of trade.

Since The Bottomless Canyon was a dangerous place to traverse, most roads skirted south, right through where New Valla would be situated, which meant they would likely make a good amount of money operating as a trade hub. They also controlled the Nohr-Hoshido sea, which meant they could make even more coin off of harboring ships and ocean-related goods, though Xander remarked to Corrin that he expected a discount, since the decision effectively landlocked Nohr for good.

But even with the amount of wealth their economic activities could bring them, and even with the seemingly infinite amount of gold bars Lilith seemingly pulled out of thin air, they would still face debts numbering in at least the seven digits. And that wasn't even accounting Nestra holding them responsible for damages done to Cyrkensia, since Anankos' forces were the ones responsible for all but burning the city to the ground.

"Oh, that's so much bulls—" Corrin had complained when Xander and Ryoma ran it through him. "We didn't even do it! Why do we have to be the ones to pay for it?"

"Because a king inherits the legacy of the one before him," Xander reminded him grimly, and that shut him up _very_ quickly. "Yes, you were the one responsible for trying to save the city, but you are also Anankos' heir, in a way, which means _you_ have to pick up the pieces."

Corrin felt a chill run down his spine at the words "Anankos' heir." At first, he had nearly panicked, but upon realizing that besides himself, Azura was probably the only other person in the world who knew, so he slowly trained himself to react accordingly whenever someone referred to him as "Anankos' son" or "Anankos' heir."

Corrin grimaced as a particularly bad migraine wracked his head, and he dropped his quill to massage his temples as he groaned in pain. Besides all of the work mentioned above, he _still_ had to figure out the border lines, calculate the total population gained from Hoshido and Nohr, draw up a name of potential advisors and retainers (he already had a good idea for who his retainers should be, but unfortunately, both of them were currently absent in Valla), and think of events to mend the cultural gap between the two nations. And not just that, but he _also_ needed to find out things like potential incomes, exports, imports, food consumption, _everything_ that also conveniently gave him some of the worst headaches he ever had before since discovering he was actually a Hoshidan prince stolen away by Nohr and that there was secretly a third kingdom devoted to bringing about the end of the world

Why couldn't his life be easier?

Corrin looked up as another knock sounded at his door.

"Come in!" he called.

To his surprise (and relief), it wasn't Jakob who stepped through the door but rather Ryoma and Xander. Corrin rose from his seat to greet his brothers. Ryoma and Xander both responded in kind, but to his concern, the bags under their eyes seemed darker and deeper compared to before.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Xander and Ryoma both looked at each before simply saying: "They're back."

* * *

Corrin all but dashed out of the castle and into the courtyard where the portal Lilith created was swirling. Already, people were milling about. Some running to fetch food, blankets, tents, cots, and whatever was needed. Others simply stood slack-jawed, looking around and staring at the sky.

It was with a twist in his gut that Corrin noticed that the ones doing nothing were horribly emaciated.

He wasted no time in locating the head of blue hair, however, and as soon as he saw it duck away towards the castle, he made his way towards it.

Azura let out a yelp as a pair of familiar, warm arms wrap themselves around her waist. She felt herself being lifted off the ground and twirled around as she tried to pry herself free before realizing who the offender was.

"Corrin!"

Corrin said nothing but squeezed her tighter against him, burying his head in her hair. Despite her initial surprise, she soon felt her adoration of him return, and she returned the favor by wrapping her own arms around him.

He set her down and proceeded to stroke the back of her head. "I missed you…" he murmured.

"I've barely been gone longer than half a week!"

"Yeah, but those days felt longer than usual," he offered lamely, pulling away.

Azura frowned at the sight of the dark bags under his eyes, and the stubble protruding out of his chin. His skin, already so pale, simply made the flaws more obvious, and she reached up to touch his jaw.

"How many hours of sleep have you been getting?" she asked.

Corrin shrugged. "Oh, uh, about eight or nine so far."

" _Corrin!_ "

He flinches, inadvertently releasing her.

Azura shook a finger in front of him. "Corrin, so what you've been telling me is that in the time that I was gone in Valla, which was about four days, _max_ , you've only gotten eight hours of sleep?"

"It was probably closer to nine," he said, trying to pull her back to his chest. She resisted his advances.

For now.

"Corrin, I know you feel responsible, and that you need to finish your work, but this isn't the way to do it!" she scolded. "Even I got more sleep than you, and I slept less than an hour's walk away from the monster that slaughtered my people!"

"I'm pretty sure that says more about you than it does about me," he snapped.

Azura blinked in surprise. Corrin had never snapped at anyone before. It may be true that his sudden bad temper was brought on by sleep deprivation, yes, but still…

"Yes, I know it was irresponsible of me to take care of myself—"

"Have you even been eating?" Azura asked, pulling at his saggier-than-usual cheeks.

Corrin pulled his face away. "First off, yes, I have been. Secondly, I hope you know I tried to do all my work in one go because if _I_ didn't finish it, _you_ would have to be the one to pick up the pieces. And that's not something I would curse on someone even as vile as Iago or Hans."

Azura froze. "Didn't…don't you remember our conversation before I left?" she asked.

"What conversation?"

"The one where we agreed that I could become the Queen-Consort and do all the behind-the-scenes stuff while you became King-Regent?"

Corrin scowled and scratched the back of his head. "Oh yeah, huh. I guess I forgot about that bit."

Azura scowled back but playfully slapped his chest, to let him know that everything between was still okay. "Obviously."

Corrin flinched and suddenly took his arms off of Azura's frame as she heard footsteps approaching. Not a moment later, Xander turned the corner.

"Ah! Corrin! There you are! The Vallite people are—" His face turned red as he realized what he was intruding on. "Ah—am I interrupting?

"No, no," Azura said breezily. "I'm just reminding Corrin that just because his future Queen-Consort was off rescuing her people, he doesn't need to deprive himself of sleep and experience a stroke at the age of twenty just so he can finish up his work so I don't have to do it when I return."

Xander rose an eyebrow. "Forgive for the sudden subject change…but I think that was the longest you've ever spoke for."

Azura blushed. There was something about having Corrin just _near_ her that grounded her. Gave her strength.

"Yes, well, you tend to be a bit more confident in yourself once you realize the remnants of your people are looking up at you," she said.

"Speaking of your people…" Xander turned to look at Corrin. "Corrin, your presence is needed. The people are clamoring to see and to hear you give a speech, so—"

"A speech?" Corrin interrupted. "Don't they want to rest first?"

"They're…a stubborn bunch, that's to be said," Xander said, sighing. "None of them wanted to rest and recover until they've seen you, so might as well get it over with."

Corrin sighed and pushed his hair out of his eyes. He massaged his eyes as he began making his way back outside. Azura followed closely behind, her hands behind her back.

"Might as well get it over with," he parroted.

Corrin squinted at the sudden change in light levels as he stepped outside, onto the raised dais leading into the great hall of the castle. Hundreds of people, Hoshidan, Nohrian, Vallites, everyone was there, stood before him, their faces upturned to look at him.

Corrin rose his hand to shade his eyes, wishing the "sun" above them wasn't so bright. He felt someone, possibly Xander or Silas, guiding him to the edge of the dais, so that he could see everyone, and everyone could see him.

After taking a moment to compose himself and clear his thoughts Corrin spread his arms apart as he began his speech: "Greetings, everybody. My name is Prince Corrin of the houses of Aurelius and Minamoto. For those of us who have recently been freed from Anankos' tyranny, welcome to the astral plane. You're all safe now…"

* * *

Corrin sighed as Silas and Kaze led him away from the sound of cheers towards his study, Azura following close behind. Despite their evident exhaustion, when he asked to rest, the two men stubbornly shook their heads.

"We are bound to serve and protect you, milord," Kaze said. "Not only that, but considering the situation in how we found the slaves in the first place, I would reckon a few precautions placed around you and Lady Azura would not be entirely amiss."

Corrin frowned at Kaze's words. "What do you mean? What happened?"

Silas sucked on his lips. "Perhaps…it would be better if we were to discuss in your study…"

Fifteen minutes later, Azura and the rest of their siblings (sans Elise and Sakura, who were busy healing the wounded Vallites and caring for them by using Dragon Veins) along with their respective retainers were crowded in Corrin's study, around his deck. Corrin's brow furrowed in displeasure at watching so many people crowd into such a (relatively) tiny room, and he couldn't help but release a tired sigh when he saw Lilith also wanted to join in, albeit floating outside the study balcony.

Ryoma, Xander, Azura, and Corrin were all standing, or in the case of Corrin, sitting, around Corrin's mahogany desk, each one with a different expression of displeasure on their face. Ryoma frowned as he crossed his arms over his chest. Xander's forehead crinkled now looked even more like a chasm than before as he rubbed his chin, trying to digest Silas and Kaze's report. Azura remained as impassive as ever, but judging by how tightly she held Corrin's hand, he could tell she was on edge just as much as everyone else in the room.

Corrin frowned deeply as he stared into steam rising out of his freshly brewed coffee, courtesy of Jakob. "So what you're saying is that…Anankos somehow resurrected Hans?" he says.

Kaze nodded stiffly, his hands clasped behind his back. "Yes."

"And you think…there's a possibility that Anankos could've brought back more of his servants from beyond the grave in order for them to continue his bidding?"

"Yes."

Corrin sighed and shook his head. He rubbed his eyes, his exhaustion from before setting in even more deeply than before.

"And one of those biddings was to finish what he started almost more than a decade ago: the extermination of the Vallites?"

This time, it was Silas who answered. "That's…I'm not certain on that, but I believe so," he said swallowing. "Milord, if I may, I suggest you send more forces down into Valla to free them. Lilith said that Anankos took advantage of the existing forts and smaller castles to imprison the Vallites. We have to help them."

"And I agree," Corrin said, twirling his quill between his fingers absentmindedly. "Unfortunately…as much as I hate being unable to do anything—and _all_ of you know that by now—we…we can't just send another party down into Valla."

Azura frowned. "Why not?" she asked.

Corrin groaned and drew his hand over his face, hating himself for saying what he was about to say. "We just don't have enough time, men, or resources," he said slowly. "Most of the men are still recovering, and maybe in about a week, we could do it, but now?"

Corrin shakes his head. "And besides, the amount of people we send into Valla is only limited by how much energy Lilith—" he gestures towards her— "is willing to spend. You may not be able to notice just by looking at her, but she's currently working around the clock right now. Even when she was done in Valla with you guys, she was still working to make sure everything flowed smoothly down here in the astral planes. She's already told me that creating a portal to Valla is exhausting enough already, but multiple groups at the same time and in the same day? I…that's stretching it, even for her."

"Perhaps," Lilith mused, thinking. Everyone turned to look at the floating dragon bobbing pleasantly outside..

"Corrin, do you remember all the letters you wrote to the families who've lost loved ones during this war?" she asked.

Corrin nodded. How could he? All of them laid down their lives for something they would never see, and he could clearly remember each and every name. Especially those who served in his personal guard.

"Well, do you remember what you did with them?"

Corrin frowned. "I…you told me that I should pile them in your shrine," he said. "Why?"

Lilith smiled tiredly, her eyes drooping before snapping back up. "Well, before I departed, I…I may have beseeched Moro to help me with my…other duties. Not only have I delivered each and every letter to their respective recipients, I've also taken the liberty to do the same of Lord Xander and Lord Ryoma's own statements as well."

Xander's eyebrows could've jumped off his face. "You did _what?"_ he asked in amazement. "Is that why I couldn't find them this morning?"

Lilith bowed her head. "Yes," she replied. "I'm sorry for not telling anyone before hand, but at the time…you seemed like you had other things on your plate."

"The statements you sent out…those were the ones ordering the armies to stand down, right?" Ryoma asked. "They also ordered the closest battlegroups to convene here, at The Bottomless Canyon."

Lilith bowed her head again. "Yes. I even took the liberty of proofreading them for you, though there may be a few mistakes here and there that I may have missed."

Everyone stared in amazement at Lilith.

Finally, Takumi broke the silence by saying, " _Wow._ I…I didn't think you were doing that while we were down there. Was that why sometimes you just randomly vanish or go off by yourself?"

Lilith nodded. "Yes. Please forgive me for not telling you, Prince Takumi, but I was afraid at the time that you wouldn't believe me—"

"What makes you think I do now?" Takumi asked. He stumbled backward until his hands found an armchair next to her, and he sank down into it. "That's…this…that's amazing, Lilith! I'm sorry I ever doubted you or implied you were a traitor."

"Apology accepted," she said simply, gently nudging Takumi's hair with her tail.

"He _what?"_ Corrin growled.

Azura squeezed his hand. "Water under the bridge, love. Water under the bridge."

Corrin flashed red as he looked up at her. "'Love?'" he repeated. "Did you just call me 'love?'"

Now it was Azura's turn to blush. "W-well, if you don't like it, I could—"

"Of course I like it!" Corrin said, taking one of her hands in both of his. "It's…it's just that…it's just that it makes us sound old or something."

Azura smiled. "Yes, well, maybe that's why couples do it."

" _Ahem."_

Corrin and Azura both flushed again as they turned towards Xander, who clearing his throat. "If you two lovebirds are done, perhaps we could discuss this 'resurrection' business and the future of the Vallites."

"O-of course," Corrin stammered, wiping his hands free of sweat on his pant legs while Azura hid her face behind her hair. "W-what about the resurrections?"

"First off, let's get something out of the way," Leo said.

"There's a difference between resurrecting someone and resurrecting one's soul," Leo explained. "What Anankos did, bringing someone back, completely devoid of most of their memories or ability to think, _that's_ resurrecting someone. Resurrecting someone's body along with their soul, however…now _that's_ something we know very little about."

"We?"

"People," Leo elaborated. "Humans. Sentient beings. Even dragons aren't able to fully restore someone's soul, since the soul and the mage has to have the same opinions on…well, basically everything."

"What do you mean?" Xander asked. "And how do you know so much about this?"

"First off, I'm not going to answer that second question," Leo said, raising a finger. "Mage secrets. Secondly…well, it'll be better if I use an example. Picture this in your mind: you have a mage, the one responsible for casting the resurrection spell, and a soldier, the one the spell is being cast on. The mage wants to bring back the soldier so he can finish the war, and the soldier also wants to come back to finish the war. In this case, it'll be much easier—relatively, of course—for the spell to successfully bring back the soldier. Both parties have the exact same reasons why they want to come back, which makes having the magic flow through _infinitely_ easier. On the _other_ hand…if either one in the example has even the slightest of differing opinion, then the spell just flat-out won't work. If the soldier doesn't want to come back, or if the mage wants to bring back the soldier for something else the soldier doesn't agree with, no dice. The spell fails, the mage dies from the effort of channeling all of their energy into the void, and the soldier remains dead. _That's_ why this kind of spell is so dangerous and difficult, and that's probably why instead of resurrecting people with their souls, Anankos preferred simply raising them again as nothing more than a shell of who they were in life."

"'Probably?'" Takumi asked.

Leo shrugged nonchalantly. "Hey, Anankos is a mad god, was he not? It may be possible that in his madness, he somehow found the secret to resurrecting someone with their body and soul both fully cooperative but found them too hard to control so he just preferred using them as puppets. Maybe he resurrected them as puppets because he simply didn't know the difference between living and non-living. Maybe it's another reason, or both of the reasons I just stated. Hell, maybe it's a completely different reason, _we don't know._ He's dead, that's good, amen."

"But what would Hans and Anankos agree on?" Camilla asked. "I never saw Hans as being particularly pious, and despite his wicked nature, I don't think he's one to murder innocent people in droves like what Silas and Kaze described as."

Xander cocked an eyebrow. "Really, Camilla? This is Hans we're talking about here. He _thrives_ on those kinds of actions."

"Correction: I don't think he's one to remain interested in killing defense innocents," Camilla corrects. "I know I'm not, but that's besides the point. The point is…if what Leo said about resurrecting someone's soul…what did Anankos and Hans agree on?"

"Wait a second," Takumi interrupted. "How do we know that Hans wasn't just a puppet?"

"Because Anankos is _dead_ , Takumi," Corrin reminded. "I know you can't use magic, but you remember one of the fundamental laws about magic, do you not?"

"'All sources of magic require a reservoir of energy," Takumi chants. "Yes, what about it?"

"Anankos is dead," Azura repeated. "Anankos is dead, and if those puppets were bound to his life force, how could they—I don't know the word for it—still be active?"

Takumi's gaze dropped to the floor. "Oh yeah, huh. I guess that makes sense."

"If I may interject, Prince Takumi," Silas piped up, "do you remember how Hans reacted when he first saw us?"

"He panicked," Takumi recalled. "Well—he didn't really panic but I could tell that we caught him off-guard."

"Exactly." Leo pointed a finger at Takumi as he leaned forward on Corrin's desk, spreading his hands apart and ignoring Corrin's cry of dismay when he tipped over a small stack of papers.

"He _reacted_. Normally, a body resurrected without a soul would've just sat there, taken in the sight, and take action. But _no._ Hans reacted in surprise, considered fighting or running away, chose to fight, and panicked when he saw Laslow rush him down. Plus, he talked with Laslow afterwards for a few seconds before he died, which is even more evidence in my court, since rare are bodies without a soul able to make any conscious effort to make noise."

"Unless the one controlling their body can also control their behavior," Azura said quietly to herself, thinking back to how she met Darius' body back in Valla. She shuddered at the memory of watching her former bodyguard's head snap a hundred-eighty degrees in the wrong direction and those…horrible, horrible black eyes that replaced his emerald-green eyes.

Leo nodded. "That too, but that's not really that difficult. Simply resurrecting someone's body and making them say what you want is the magical equivalent of taking a knife and whittling a piece of wood until it makes something recognizable. Magic is just an extension of the body, after all."

"You still haven't answered my question," Camilla said. "What do Hans and Anankos both want? Why else would Anankos bring back Hans? He's a killer! He's the type of person to kill a newborn child and their mother just because he's bored! What does Anankos even see in him?"

Corrin thoughtfully tapped his desk with a finger, drawing everyone's attention to him. "You say he's the type of person to kill indiscriminately, with no questions asked, right, Camilla?"

Camilla nodded fervently. "Yes."

"Well…what if Anankos brought him back _just_ so he could kill the slaves?" Corrin wondered. "I mean, Anankos is supposed to hate all of humanity, right? And Hans is a remorseless killer. Why wouldn't they agree together on killing more humans, especially those who can't fight back?"

"Coming back from the dead just to kill more innocents?" Takumi asked, whistling. "That's…that's pretty extreme, even for a Nohrian. You sure you're not exaggerating your stories of this guy?"

Xander's face twisted in disdain. "I only wish they were stories."

Leaning forward, Xander rested his hand on Corrin's desk and stared deeply into his eyes. "So what about the Vallites then? If Anankos brought _Hans_ back, of all people, there's no telling who else he could've brought back, and as much as I hate to admit it…there's people out there who died who were even worse than Hans in life."

"It's not a question of 'if,' brother," Camilla said, "but rather 'who.' We know Anankos was mad, and in his final moments, he must've picked a few select members to have them continue to wreak havoc on our newfound peace. Hans is one, but who else?"

"We just don't have enough data or numbers to work with," Leo said, shaking his head. "We only found one reference point between Hans and Anankos, but considering how one-sided Hans is, even then that's not a surprise."

"Maybe he resurrects people based on how much he hates me?" Corrin asked. "I don't know about you, but if I was an insane dragon god, and I was defeated by a mere human, I would hate that human even more than the rest of my subjects, right?"

"Well, in that case, that narrows the list down pretty significantly," Takumi muttered. "I'm pretty sure Hans hated, and what was the name of that retainer who served Garon?"

"Iago?"

"Yeah, that's the one. I never really met them, but the only thing they seem to have in common is that they _hate_ you, Corrin. Like, I'm telling you, they _hate_ your guts. If Anankos offered them a chance at revenge…well, I'm pretty sure those two would be the ones to take it."

"Thanks," Corrin deadpanned.

"Okay, well now we have something to work with," Xander said. "Basically, we can safely assume that anyone Anankos brings back from the dead is either a) criminally insane and hellbent on inflicting as much death in the world, or b) their hatred of Corrin is so great, they're willing to agree to the wishes of an insane god just for petty revenge."

"That's…quite a list then," Corrin said, counting down on his fingers. "Like, there's Hans, Iago, Garon—gods I hope they don't bring Garon back—and other people who I can't even list because if I did, we'd be here all night."

"Did you seriously remember all your enemies' names?" Takumi asked.

"It's better to keep a friend close, but an enemy closer," Corrin said cryptically.

"Well, that still doesn't answer the question of _what_ we're going to do with the slaves still trapped in Valla," Xander said. "If what we say about those resurrected are true, then _all_ of us are in danger. Especially those trapped, since they'll be the first ones to experience Anankos' revenge."

"Oh, that'll be easy," Lilith piped up. "Lord Leo took with him several ancient scrolls and maps showing the forts and castles where the slaves are most likely to be kept. I've already taken a look at them, and I have to say, I think I've already got most of them memorized."

"O…kay?" Takumi said slowly. "How does that help?"

"I can simply beseech the astral dragons to grant me more power and strength temporarily so I can open multiple portals at once. Even though I won't be able to accompany the soldiers, I will be able to transport them to and from Valla, safe and sound."

"Why couldn't you do that before then?" Takumi asked. "Why didn't you just whisk us straight to Fort Anobaith? We could've saved a few more slaves that way."

"Could've…" Lilith repeats sadly. "Unfortunately, at the time, I had— _ahem—_ forgotten where Fort Anobaith was, which meant I had to physically guide your group to where it was in order for us to save the slaves. Now that Lord Leo actually recovered map showing all the first where Anankos kept the slaves—"

"It's actually more of map that just showed us _where_ the forts and prisons are, and not which ones, but's it's close enough," Leo interjected.

"—Not that we possess a map with the locations of all the forts, I can very easily create a portal to each location."

"Why couldn't you do that while in Valla?" Ryoma asked. "If you say that creating portals is so easy for you, then why is it so draining for you to travel with us then?"

Lilith floated over to Ryoma's bushy hairdo and gently rested herself on top of Ryoma's head. "Well, it's a lot more complicated than you would think," she said. "If I was to travel _out_ of the astral plane, I would have to memorize a…password of sorts. Very complicated, very complex, but most of all, very long."

"Explain," Ryoma pressed, frowning at the little dragon perched on top of his head.

Lilith, sensing his discomfort, floated down. "It's…very difficult for me to explain. It's not that I can't, it's just that…well, human ears aren't _built_ to handle those kinds of sounds, but if you want an example, think of a long string of numbers. Now mix those numbers up in your head. Can you remember all of those numbers fifteen minutes from now? An hour? _That's_ how difficult it is to memorize this 'password.'"

"So all you're saying is that the reason you always stay in the astral plane is because you'll forget the password if you leave," Leo deadpanned.

Lilith nodded. "Correct."

"So what happens if you forget this 'password' of yours?" Xander asked.

"I will be unable to return to the astral plane, which the inhabitants will eventually starve to death in," Lilith said matter-of-factly. "Please understand, if I could remember it, I would."

"Just let us hear it," Leo ordered. "Let us be the judge for how hard it is to remember."

"I thought Lilith said the reason she never told us the existence of this password was because humans are physically incapable of understanding it?" Corrin said.

"We'll see," Leo said.

Lilith sighed. "Very well then. Lord Leo, prepare yourself."

What followed was a long string of babble, odd yelps, growls, snaps, and miniature roars from Lilith. Leo rose an eyebrow at the string of nonsense before waving his hands around to cut her off. "Stop! Stop!"

Corrin tilted his head. "That…that does sound complicated."

Lilith's ears perked up in surprise. "You…you understood it?"

"Well, not really," Corrin admitted. "Like, I can hear each word, but it's like they're all jumbled and mashed up together so that you can't pick out a piece here and there and go 'Oh, this is intelligible.' It's…it's more like organized gibberish."

Xander frowned. "I don't know what you heard, but what all the rest of us heard were just a bunch of weird dragon noises and growls."

"That may be because Lord Corrin is half dragon," Lilith mused. "Dragons have their own tongue, but it's so archaic, even dragons seldom use it, preferring the languages humans already speak. That being said, the tongue is so engrained in our blood, that all dragons, even Lord Corrin, who is only half dragon, can understand it and somewhat speak it."

"I can?" Corrin asked. "How?"

"Well, I'm assuming you have to be in your other half, right?" Azura asked. "And besides…you don't…really have a mouth…do you?"

Corrin looked affronted. "Of course I do!"

Ryoma interrupted them by tightening the straps of his gauntlets. Very audibly. "We're getting side-tracked. Let's go over what we learned today. So, we can send multiple groups at once into Valla to rescue the slaves. Even though Anankos is dead, he managed to resurrect a few servants of his to carry out his bidding, which can consist of killing the rest of the slaves to sabotaging our efforts. What else?"

"We should talk about how to deal with Anankos' servants," Xander said. "We just finished a war, and the last thing I—the last thing _anyone_ wants—is another war because of Anankos' influence."

"Well, unless you have some sort of magic staff that allows us to magically detect whether someone should be dead or not, we'll just have to sort through the people the old fashioned way," Corrin said tiredly.

"As much as I hate to agree with Corrin on this…I have to agree with him," Leo said awkwardly. "While I want to root out these servants as fast as I can…we just don't have the time or materials. Ryoma, Xander, and Corrin each have their own nations to tend to now, and with the recent casualty numbers, we just don't have the power or numbers to check _each_ and _every_ single one of our people."

"That reminds me of another thing," Corrin said grimly. "Casualty reports. Who's responsible for them? Most of the men who died invading Valla were either Hoshidan or Nohrian, so—"

"As future King-Regent of Valla, you should be the first one to address the sacrifices made by both Hoshido and Nohr," Ryoma advised. "Thank the families for their sacrifice and service, but make sure you stay impartial. I understand that you—that we—all lost…friends and families, but when you're in front of the people…I'm afraid you'll have to remain impartial."

Corrin tiredly rested his head in his hands. "What about you two then?" he asked Xander and Ryoma. "Are you going to pay your respects to our dead as well?"

"Of course, little prince," Xander said, using Corrin's nickname for the first time in what felt like centuries. "Everyone lost someone during this war…and us royals are no exception."

"If anything, we got hit even harder," Takumi muttered.

Corrin absentmindedly twirled a strand of hair around his finger as he looked over a sheet of paper with all the names of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Subaki, the perfect expert. Struck down by an arrow volley.

Kaden, the kitsune braggart. Position overrun by undead Vallite puppets. Missing in action.

Shura, the righteous rebel. Physically crushed by Faceless controlled by Anankos.

Azama, the nihilist priest. Killed by undead Vallite puppets.

Orochi, the secret keeper. Killed by Anankos.

Reina, morbid fixations personified. Struck down by Sir Gunter with a _Thoron_ spell while possessed by Anankos.

Scarlet, the rebellious streak. Struck down by Anankos using Sir Gunter's body.

Beruka, the quiet assassin. Last seen engaging Vallite wyvern rider over battlefield. Missing in action.

Effie, the army of one. Position overwhelmed by Faceless. Missing in action.

All those and more.

Corrin felt a lump in his throat as Azura gently rested a hand on Corrin's other shoulder.

"Hey," she said gently. "It's alright…I'm here for you. We are all."

Corrin rested his own hand on top of Azura's as he looked up at his family and retainers, all of whom were smiling supportively down at him, despite their exhaustion.

"Let's adjourn for today," he said. "I'll…I'll deal with the casualty reports right now. Leo, Niles, Odin, Laslow, Selena, Kaze, Silas—you all must be tired. Take the rest of today and tomorrow off."

"But—"

"No buts. Just…just go take a break. You all deserve it."

Grumbling, though not necessarily unhappy, the members of the search party all filed out, until it was only Xander, Ryoma, Laslow, Selena, Odin, Azura, and Corrin remaining in the room. Xander rose an eyebrow when he saw his retainer staying behind, but said nothing as Azura continued to idly rub her thumb on the back of Corrin's hand.

Corrin looked up as the three retainers approached him. "I thought I ask you guys to take the day off?" he said, though not unkindly.

Odin chuckled. "Heroes do not 'take the day off,' milord. Heroes seek out danger! For where there is danger, there is always an untold tale of adventure and heroics!"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, cut the theatrics," Selena said crossly. Her eyes looked red, and Corrin was about to ask why, but upon catching Subaki's name on the list of the deceased, he decided against it.

Laslow bowed towards Xander and Ryoma. "Lord Ryoma. Lord Xander. Or should I say _King_ Ryoma and King Xander?"

"What do you need?" Ryoma asked gruffly. "Corrin needs to work, and your _friend's_ theatrics aren't going to help him concentrate."

"It's fine," Corrin said, absentmindedly waving a hand. "I actually prefer some noise when I'm doing work, you know?"

"We…the three of us have something to confess. And it involves Lord Corrin," Laslow said seriously, without smiling.

 _That_ got Xander's attention more than anything. He straightened up and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, how about we head back down the tower so Corrin can focus on his work."

Odin sucked his lips in. "Well…you see, Lord—King Xander…we…we came here _because_ of Corrin."

Xander put his hand up in exasperation. "Please, I'm not a king. Not yet at least. And as for the second part, well, yes. In a way, the only reason we're all standing here today is because of Corrin."

"We're not talking about _us_ us," Laslow said, gesturing around himself. "We're talking about how the three of us came here."

"The three of you?" Xander asked. "Like, you, Odin, and Selena?"

Corrin looked up, his curiosity getting the better of him this time. Azura tensed, knowing what the three retainers were talking about.

"Yes." Laslow swallowed nervously. "You see…my name isn't really Laslow. It's actually Inigo…"

* * *

"If it wasn't for the fact that Anankos told me most of this beforehand, I'm pretty sure I would've thought you three to be raving."

"That's what she said," Laslow said, nodding towards Azura. "—when we told Azura," he added hastily.

"You actually believe us?" Odin asked, echoing his words in Valla.

"Mostly the parts about Anankos being my father and all that, for obvious reasons."

Corrin sighed and buried his head in his hands. "But the three of you coming from another world? Well, if it wasn't for the fact that we're currently _in_ one of these said worlds, I wouldn't have believed you. But either way, I guess…everything you said makes sense…somehow."

He chanced a glance towards Xander and Ryoma, who both seemed as confused and furrowed as he. In fact, the only one who didn't seem uncomfortable was Azura, who had gotten off his desk and pulled up another chair beside him so she stroke his hair comfortingly.

"Xander?" he asked. "Ryoma?"

When the two men didn't respond, Corrin said, "Please, you have to understand. Anankos may be my father, but I have no intention of ending up like him!"

"Is that what you're really concerned about right now?" Xander asked.

"We don't _care_ if you're the son of that monster," Ryoma added. "Look at Xander! His father was Garon! And look at him now!"

"We weren't silent because we were changing our opinions of you," Xander said in a low voice. "You did that on the Hoshidan plains. We…we were just thinking on what Laslow said. About…this Ylisse."

"So you're leaving," Corrin said. It was not a question, but he expected a response either way.

Odin shrugged while Selena nodded. Laslow, however, looked uncertain. "We…we don't know" he finally said. "Odin has…Odin still has a family back home, and Selena has nothing here now save for Caeldori…and I?…I'm still undecided."

"Peri?" Xander said. "Is it because of Peri?"

Laslow dipped his head. "Partly. I'd say she's about seventy percent of the reason why I want to stay here."

"And the other thirty?" Xander asked.

Laslow twisted his hand over his sternum in that odd gesture again and bowed low to the ground, his hair sweeping over his eyes. "Well…in all my years serving you, Lord Xander…I have to say, I've grown awfully fond of your companionship. And I seriously do mean that. Either way, nobody walks out a true winner."

"I…I'm honored to hear that," Xander stammered. He rose up and awkwardly rested his hand on Laslow's shoulders. "Er…Laslow—or should I call you Inigo?"

"Either is fine," Laslow said.

"You've been in my service for nigh-on twelve-odd years. During that time, you—along with your companions—" he glanced towards Selena and Odin—"you and your companions have served Nohr with the highest degree of loyalty. And…and I'll personally make sure that your stories' will be remembered in our history."

"We'd…we would appreciate that," Laslow said, sounding choked.

"Have you told your lieges yet?" Xander asked Selena and Odin.

The two shook their head. "We…we were planning to, but we decided telling Corrin about us and his relationship with his father was more important," Selena explained.

Ryoma cleared his throat awkwardly. "I…I feel like this is a private conversation. I-I'll excuse myself right now."

"No, it's alright King Ryoma," Laslow said. "If we didn't want you to hear our story, we would've just found our respective lieges on a different day. Stay. Listen to us for a while, won't you?"

Though his face looked like he was sucking on a very dry and acrid lemon, Ryoma reseated him next to the bookshelf, tapping his fingers against his armor awkwardly. Ignoring him, Laslow turned his attention back on Corrin.

"Sorry we couldn't tell you first," he said apologetically. "We didn't know Anankos already spoke to you about this…and we thought Azura should be the first to know, since she's—you know—she deserves to know who her people's killer was, and who he wasn't."

"It's alright," Corrin said, waving away Laslow's words. "So what're you going to do now? When do you plan on leaving?"

"When we're done with the reconstruction. And maybe even a little while after that," Selena piped up.

"Is there anything else?" Corrin asked. "Is there perhaps an estranged uncle of mine in your land, or what?"

"Something like that," Odin admitted. "We have had our suspicions on that stable girl of yours, Lilith, for quite some time, but after formally introducing ourselves to her, we had deduced her true identity…as being one of Anankos' former servants!"

Corrin groaned and clutched his head in his hands as a wave of migraines assaulted his head. Azura rubbed his head in an attempt to soothe the pain.

"Three full days of work, little to no sleep, and the revelation about Lilith being my sister is the thing that breaks my brain?" Corrin asked. He rose up and stared at Selena, Laslow, and Odin in the eyes. "You're not kidding. Let me get this straight" you're saying that not only was Lilith a servant of Anankos, but that she's also my _sister?_ And a biological one at that?"

Xander and Ryoma both sat up straighter in interest, listening as Corrin waved his hands about himself.

"You know how ridiculous that sounds?" Corrin asked. "It's…it's…it's unfathomable!"

He collapsed on his desk, suddenly exhausted. Azura, Xander, and Ryoma shared concerned glances as Corrin rested his head on his arms, groaning in pain as another wave of migraine assaulted him. Azura rested her hand on top of his head, as if to draw out all the demons plaguing his cranium.

"Are...are you alright?" Selena asked. "I know it's a lot to take in at first, but—"

"Just…can you guys give me a few hours to think?" he asked Xander and Ryoma. "I'll…I'll get to the casualty reports soon, but—"

"You're fine," Ryoma said. "Take some days off. You've been working with no sleep or rest, while Xander and I have been…basically doing nothing when compared to you. How much progress have you made on the legislations and state work for Valla?"

"I'm almost done," Corrin moaned, his voice muffled. "Just a few more packets to go through."

"I'll take care of it," Azura said immediately. "Corrin, you should go sleep. I'll take it from here."

"No, no," Xander said, standing up. "Normally, this amount of work requires _months_ of preparations and planning. Corrin managed to do half that workload in _three_ days. Azura, you traveled back to Valla a mere day after fighting Anankos. The two of you deserve some time off."

Corrin groaned and dizzily sat back up. "But if we don't do the work now, we'll still have to do the work later."

"Don't worry about it," Ryoma soothed. "The casualty reports don't need to be filed _immediately_ after a battle, and we can at least arrange part of the ceremonies to commemorate those who passed. Until then, you and Azura can rest and recover. You two have been through a lot through these last few days, both physically, mentally, and emotionally. And we're not even talking about the stress you two have been under because of preparing for the war on Valla, trying to unite Hoshido and Nohr, and living as a fugitive, basically. It's about time you two celebrate the culmination of your work."

Corrin was about to protest before Azura squeezed his hand. He looked over and asked with his eyes, _Should we?_

 _Why not?_ She asked back.

Sighing in defeat, Corrin stood up, and Azura followed. Xander and Ryoma both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Fine," he said tiredly. "Azura and I will take a few days off…while you two finish what I started. Just…uhm, remember that the names on the right are Nohrian, and the names on the left are Hoshidan—"

"Corrin."

"Uh, don't forget to tell Lilith about the slaves…oh, and don't tell her that I learned about our relationship. I need to talk to her first—"

" _Corrin."_

"Oh, and see if you can find a date where I can meet the Vallites. If Azura and I are going to be ruling them in the future, we'll need to—"

"Corrin!"

Corrin blinked and shook his head. Ryoma and Xander both gave him bemused grins as Xander made a _shooing_ motion towards the door. "You two. Out. Let us handle this."

Corrin blinked as Azura dragged him out, the songstress uttering a grateful _thank you_ as they descended the stairwell. Before Corrin left the room, however, he hung onto the doorframe with a few fingers and said, "Oh, and Laslow? Selena? Odin?"

"Yes, milord?"

"…thank you for your service. I really do."

And then he was gone.

Xander sighed and rubbed his eyes as he looked at Laslow. "Well, I guess this it, isn't it?" he asked.

Laslow chuckled and shook his head. "Only the beginning of it," he replied. "We still have at least a year or two at most before we leave. But once we do…"

"We'll never see each other again," Ryoma finished.

The two men looked at Ryoma, who only seemed to realize his blunder. "Oh, um. I see this is a private conversation," he said lamely. "I'll…I'll leave now. And Laslow?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you, for trying to stay by Corrin's side. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart."

Laslow tipped his head as Odin and Selena beamed, the latter of whom more somber. "Of course, milord. It's all part of the job."

Ryoma nodded, before vanishing down the stairs after Corrin and Azura.

Xander's jaw set as he looked awkwardly at the three retainers. "You two should tell your respective royals," he said to Odin and Selena.

The two retainers bowed and quickly left, leaving only Laslow and Xander. His expression morphed into an expression of mock horror as Xander rested a hand on his shoulder again. "Oh Naga," he breathed. "Is a hug really necessary? Why, a lady may catch your scent and think wrongly of me."

"Come now, you've faced down not one—but _two_ dragon gods, and you're _still_ afraid of a hug?"

"Well, when it's your boss who's giving you the hug…it's better to air on the side of caution."

Xander chuckled, low and deep. "True that. True that," he says before slinging an arm around Laslow's shoulders and giving him one awkward pat on the back before pulling away.

"That wasn't so bad, now was it?" he said.

Laslow shrugged. "I've hugged worse."

"You're still in my service, you know. I _could_ fire you."

"Milord, with all due respect, I think you've been spending too much time with Odin."

"Perhaps."

The two men's laughter echoed long from the tower.

* * *

A/N: Lotsa dialouge this chapter! I was pretty happy with it, up until the reveal, but I think I did pretty well, considering when I finished writing this (12:23 AM Pacific time, for any of you wondering). I felt like it felt rushed towards the end, but I really, _really_ want to get to the good stuff.


	35. Interlude: Blood on the Snow

A/N:

I've noticed a few reviews asking how Laslow, Selena, and Odin were in the Fates world for 12-15 years, when at most, they should've been there for 8. My answer to that is, in my personal headcanon, they travelled the Fateslandia after Grima's fall, which at that point, they would've been about 21-24 years old, give or take. They then travel to Fateslandia, and by the time they finish everything in Valla, Corrin's already in Nohr, which would mean he's around 6. At this point, he's 22 y/o, which means 22-6=16. I highly doubt it'll be possible for SOL to beome the Nohrian Royal's retainers within 1-2 years. Even then, you're still left with roughly 14 or so years of them doing nothing. That time period is the time where I would imagine they were serving as retainers. I know the game says something about the passage of time based on in-game events, but c'mon, be real here. Fates' plot is about as organized as an Afghanistan government, and with three plots, there's no way I would be able to accurately find the information, so this is what I'm sticking to.

Also, some people asked why Corrin wasn't in Valla. The answer is...well, work. In my personal opinion, rebuilding Valla is going to be about the same level of work as constructing The United States of America following the American Revolution. It's _a lot_ of work, and Corrin going with them to rescue the slaves would be like if Benjamin Franklin decided to take a month off of working on the states work to help the after-war construction. That's a bad example, I know, but I hope it shows my thought process behind why I chose to let Corrin stay behind. Plus, if he _didn't_ stay behind, that would mean I would have to write 1-2 more chapters involving the work process, and nobody wants to see that when there's fluff to be found soon.

Alright now, review answering time!

 **Delta477: Alternate Universe? Out of the question. This work is going to complicated enough as it is, even without bringing in AU's. I may feature a few cameos from Awakening, but overall,t hey won't play a big role in the story besides just _existing._ Also, I'm not one to stray _too_ far from the source material. I may write one based on your suggestion in the _far_ future, but in this work, no: I won't be exploring alternate timelines. But as for the Kana storytime? Hell the motherf*cking yeah! While it's about as stale and overused as a year-old piece of bread, I'm sure I can think of something.**

 **Lopmion-12: Absolutely. Arc 4 (which is now Arc 5 because of pacing) is going to be _all_ fluff. Since I want to explore Corrin and Azura in their early marriage years, Kana and Shigure won't appear until 12-16 chapters in, but they'll be there. _They'll be there._ Also, yes, they'll be a wedding.**

 **Guest: No, I've never played the game (because I'm broke please send me money for a now outdated piece of hardware now that the switch is out)) but I know enough about the game to write a work on it. Obviously. I chose to have named characters die because...well, that's war. Not everyone makes it back, as much as I would like them too. In Awakening, it would make sense for everyone to come back, since the Avatar in that game is a tactical genius, but it's established in Fates that Corrin, while smart in their own right, is still inexperienced and is unable to control large-scale battles, like the final showdown. Thus, people will die.**

And...that's it! this chapter is an interlude, but it should show you some of the behind-the-scenes...

I'm currently on spring break, but with a physics project on the horizon, I'm afraid I won't be able to work too much, but I'll try. Hang in there!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of its characters.

* * *

"Are we there yet?" a woman whined.

"We're scarcely more than two hours away from your father's estate, Lady Tamora," the captain said. "Assuming no bandits or supernatural forces decide to plague us during these next few minutes, we should be there soon."

Tamora pouted and sank back into the seat of her carriage, crossing her arms unhappily. There were currently travelling to her father's estate in the mountains of Nohr for a diplomatic request. With King Garon inexplicably vanishing and presumed dead, and Prince Xander's decree stating that Nohr was no longer at war with Hoshido, she decided to travel home to inform her father of the news.

Spoiled and demanding, she could be, but unnecessary and unjust killing were topics that Tamora was _strongly_ against. Her father, while modest in temperament and normally coolheaded, housed a near fanatic hatred for the Hoshidans, who often "trespassed" on his land. As if anyone knew the borders this far north. Not even the Hoshidans cared, the those who "trespassed" were more often than not hunters who couldn't make a living off of farming and were forced to move up North to hunt, and even then, they only "trespassed" either by accident, or more commonly, desperation, something all Nohrians were familiar with.

The mountains were dangerous, thousands of feet high, and utterly inhospitable to even the hardiest of animals. So _of course_ , her great-grand father decided to build his estate there.

At least he had the foresight to build an easy to travel, if not long and winding, road to it. The road was situated around a thick forest, which meant travelers were forced to go the long way, hence why it was so winding and long.

"Well, if that damned horse of yours didn't decide to have a seizure in the middle of the road, we would've been there by now!" she complained.

The captain, a relatively young but burly man, sighed, drawing a long face, grateful that Lady Tamora's carriage windows were blinded. Sometimes, he had to remind himself that he was simply a lowly guard attending to an eighteen-year-old girl's whim. A very _demanding_ eighteen-year-old at that.

"With all due respect, Lady Tamora," the captain said, barely managing to hide his exasperation, "Hector's charger was already nearing the end of its natural lifespan. Seeing a lady horse as beautiful as Liddel's mare must've…I don't know, gave it a heart attack."

Inside the carriage, Tamora's face softened. She always had a soft spot for horses and animals in general.

"Yes, well…that old horse never really sired any children, now did he?" she said.

"No," the captain confirmed. "A real shame, though. He would've sired many good foals, if he ever had the stamina for it."

Tamora's eye ticked. She _hated_ topics about animal breeding. She opened the carriage window and chucked a small bottle of perfume at the guard.

"Well, maybe if you damned ingrates _let_ him settle down peacefully, maybe he would've!" she said venomously.

She was about to hurl another object at the guard, ignoring the looks and chuckles the other men gave her, when a bright flash of light appeared in the sky. A ray of light, red and white in color, shot up into the sky. Her jaw dropped as the other soldiers, sensing danger, drew their weapons and positioned themselves defensively around the carriage. Meanwhile, the carriage driver, an old, grizzled, bearded Nohrian whose eyes told the stories of countless memories, stopped. The horse nickered as they came to a halt.

"What…what was that?" Tamora asked, her breath puffin in the cold weather.

The captain ignored her, instead signaling for two of the guards to investigate. The two men crept into the forest, their weapons unsheathed and ready.

As the two men disappeared from sight, the captain slowly inched back up towards the carriage doors. "Stay inside and don't make a sound, milady," he ordered.

For once, Tamora decided to obey. She hastily closed the carriage window and set stiffly, her hands on her lap. Her fingers scrunched up her pant materials as she heard bushes crackling: surely, the sign of the two men returning, right?

"Langward! Eyre!" the captain called. "What did you find?"

Tamora let a small yelp escape from her lips as a weight slammed into the carriage side, almost causing the transport to tip over. A horse screamed and the driver shouted in alarm before he suddenly went silent, an odd gurgle cutting him off midscream.

Shouts rang out, and a man screamed in pain as the captain shouted, "Hey! Stop!" before he fell silent in a manner similar to that of the carriage driver.

Tamora clamped a hand over her mouth. _Bandits? But how? Surely, they wouldn't attack such a small convoy, right?_

The convey consisted only of her personal carriage and a smaller wagon for supplies, which meant they would have nothing of value. Sure, she supposed bandits could have attacked them based on how wealthy her carriage looked, but there's been no reports of bandits in this area.

Tamora screamed as blood suddenly splattered the carriage window. She pressed herself as far as she could to the other side of the cramped space before a disembodied _hand_ shattered the window pane behind her.

The limb fell to the space between the seats with a disgustingly wet sound, and lay there, the index finger twitching in its death throes. She screamed again as the door opposite of her was suddenly wrenched off its hinges. Already, she could smell the stench of blood, and she could the captain lying still on the blood-soaked snow, his face gray and haggard looking.

A shadow suddenly fell over her, and she curled herself into a ball as she tried to blink away the tears obscuring her vision.

 _Oh gods please don't let me die I'm only eighteen Let me say goodbye to Andros and my father before I die please don't let me die please oh gods—_

Tamora fell silent as a shadow overfell her. She curled herself into an even smaller ball as the attacker leaned forward and—

Tamora froze.

"W-what—who are you?" she asked, petrified.

Her _own face_ stared back at her, complete with the beauty mark on the left side of her chin and the minute scar next to her right eye. The attack's hair was even styled the same as hers, long, black, curly hair reaching down to her breast and dyed a deep purple at the end. In fact, the only differences were that the attacker was wearing an ornate, vaguely familiar half-mask over her face, and the too-big robes that hung off the attacker's frame was obviously meant for a male Nohrian mage.

And the _eyes_.

Instead of the chocolate brown that Tamora received from her mother, the intruder's eyes were a dark maroon red, a red that burned with hatred. For a split second, she thought her doppelganger's eyes flashed an unnatural red light, but just as quickly, the light faded.

In the attacker's hand, there was a tome.

Tamora's eyes flicked down to it, and back up to the attacker's half-mask, now realizing why it looked so familiar.

"W-wait, didn't t-that belong to—

"Lord Anankos sends his regards," the attacker interrupted coldly, its voice matching hers exactly, timbre for timbre, pitch for pitch.

A searing heat pressed itself against Tamora's skin, and she screamed, once, in agony as a blood-red light shone out of the carriage's shattered window.

* * *

A/N: Tamora is the name of a Roman Empress whose son was sacrificed by the god Titus. She then makes it her mission to basically f*ck with Titus and make his family suffer through her manipulation of others and good looks. Sounds familiar? No? Pay attention and read Arc 3: Aftermath. Check out the symbolism.


	36. Chapter 35

A/N: Here's a bit of warning, this chapter is going to go into some pretty dark and twisted stuff here, the kind of stuff that I won't be making jokes about. You have been warned.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of its characters

* * *

Azura sighed in relief as she finally managed to dump Corrin onto the bed in her room. Normally, she would've half-carried, half-stumbled Corrin to his treehouse, but the instant their feet touched the bottom of the stairs leading to Corrin's study in the tower, his head lolled against hers, and his breath became slow, deep, and heavy: a surefire sign of knowing he fell asleep.

Knowing that it was pretty much impossible to lug somebody who was asleep up a ladder, Azura decided to haul him to her quarters. She knew that having an unmarried man and an unmarried woman sleeping in the same room together was frowned upon, but with how her eyelids were already starting to droop, she couldn't bring herself to care.

What she _didn't_ know was how heavy Corrin could be, especially when he was unconscious. She had to loop her arms underneath his and hold him across the chest in order for her to drag him along. Thus began a nearly half an hour-long trek to her room as she tried to figure out how to _roll_ his body up the set of stairs leading to her room.

She desperately wished Corrin would wake up, but apparently, being half-dragon meant you needed more sleep than usual when compared to a normal human being, so Azura didn't even bother trying to wake him up. He always was a deep sleeper, anyways.

Plus, even if she would never admit it, she kind of liked seeing Corrin's face when he was sleeping, when it was free of the customary worry lines and frowns during the war. It was a sight she rarely got to see, not just because of the fact that having the two of them together in bed would be the talk of the castle for _weeks_ , but because of time constraints created by the war.

So when Azura finally plopped Corrin onto her bedsheets, it was all worth it. She flopped herself onto the bed next to him. She spent a few moments wondering if she should change, considering how she was still wearing the same clothes she wore on her trek into Valla.

After a wrestling with herself for a few moments, she decided to. She always was one to be finicky about her own personal neatness. She reluctantly swung her legs off the edge of the bed and opened her wardrobe. She carefully stripped her white dress off, hanging it neatly on one of her hangers, leaving only the sarashi wrapped her chest and white briefs on her body.

As she carefully unwrapped the sarashi around her midriff and chest, she prayed that Corrin wouldn't wake up and see her in such a state. That was, of course, what happened.

Right as she dropped her smallclothes to the floor, she heard her bed creak, and she instantly snatched a random dress out of her wardrobe and covered herself with it. Poorly.

Her quarters was only a single room consisting of only a bed, her wardrobe, and a small nightstand next to her bed, which meant there was nowhere for her to hide as Corrin groggily sat up, hand rubbing his head as he turned to look at Azura.

"Wuzz going on?" he mumbled sleepily.

"U-uh, nothing!" Azura said, trying to adjust the small piece of cloth in front of her naked body to cover more of it. "J-just go back to sleep, Corrin. It's all fine, I promise!"

Corrin blinked slowly, before shrugging. "Okay," he mumbled as he flopped back onto the bed, his hands scrabbling for the edge of the blanket. "Juss gimme a moment…shirt…shirt annoying."

Azura watched breathlessly as Corrin tugged off his skin-tight armor and tossed his tunic over his shoulder, onto the floor. Thankfully, while he stripped off the armor on his legs, he left his pants on, so that his only his chest was bare. Satisfied, he flopped back onto the bed, whereupon he promptly fell back asleep.

Azura let a small smile break out on her face as she watched him. "Of course you would fall back sleep," she whispered fondly, so as to not wake him again.

She quickly finished changing into her sleeping clothes, a lowcut, purple dress reaching to just above her hips. She paused, rubbing a finger over a black ink spot.

It was the same dress she wore when she was talking with Corrin when they were camped out in the fort. Corrin had spilled a bottle of ink in his exhaustion, and she offered to clean it up for him.

Gods, could that have been just barely a week ago?

Azura sighed as she crawled in next to Corrin, shifting so that her head rested on his chest, over his heart. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she carefully wedged her leg between his.

"Why is it you're always this adorable when you're sleeping?" she whispered. Normally, she wasn't one to be so… _brazen,_ she guess she could say, but with the love of her life lying sleeping underneath her, and soothed by the knowledge that they could finally rest together, _in peace_ , she guessed anyone in a similar situation would also feel pretty _brazen._ She gently ran a finger over his jawline, his skin smooth and devoid of even the smallest of stubbles.

Guess half-dragons don't need to shave, apparently.

She settled in again and closed her eyes, allowing the soothing drone of his heartbeat to lull her to sleep. As she fell victim to her waking dreams, she swore she felt Corrin's arms tighten affectionally around her.

But maybe that was just another figment of her imagination.

* * *

The rest of the week is spent organizing parties to send into Valla to find the slaves. Most of the groups return after two to three days, along with several dozen slaves, anywhere from between thirty to a couple hundred.

At the end of the week, Lilith informed Corrin and Azura that all of the surviving slaves have been located and safely deposited in the astral plane. Like the first group Azura's party found, most of the slaves reported that Anankos had apparently sent what remained of his servants to seek them out and kill them. Thankfully, the search parties they sent out managed to save most of the slaves.

They then spent another two days taking a census of the rescued Vallites and settling them in. The number of surviving Vallites numbers roughly around 1500, barely large enough to be considered a town in either Hoshido or Nohr, but what they lack in numbers, they make up for in patience and gratitude.

But despite the Vallites' optimistic attitude, all are in desperate need for food, proper clothing, shelter, and medical care. It is only because of the magic flowing through the astral planes that Corrin, Azura, and the rest of the royal siblings were able to procure enough supplies for them, and even then, by the end of it, Lilith drooped her head in exhaustion.

"I didn't know it was possible to 'use up' all of the magic in the astral plane, but apparently, that's possible," she said quietly as she curled her tail around herself in preparation of another nap.

Corrin had frowned then, Laslow's, Odin's, and Selena's words on how she was his sister coming back to him, but he never said anything.

Then came the goodbyes.

It was the first time Corrin had ever attended a "funeral" of sorts, and it was definitely something he didn't want to experience again anytime soon. There were too many shrouds—too many fallen friends and allies—for Corrin to count.

He was expected to make a speech to commemorate the fallen, along with Ryoma and Xander, and he had accepted the task without hesitation, and now he was standing on the raised dais in front of the castle's main hall with his brothers, lips sealed shut as Ryoma and Xander monotonously read off the names of those who gave their lives in service of Valla.

Corrin wanted to be the one to read the names, feeling as to how everyone who died did so for his cause, but Ryoma and Xander both disagreed, stating that since they were either Hoshidan or Nohrian, it was only fitting that their respective crown princes honored them. Corrin couldn't find an argument to stand against that point, so in the end, he accepted Ryoma and Xander's decision, but only if Corrin was to be the one responsible for reading the names of those who died in his personal guard, and the two royals had agreed.

At the time, he was grateful for how the debate had turned out. Now, as he stood on the dais, facing the silent crowd and listening to Xander finishing his list, the consequences of his refusing to choose a side in what felt like an eternity ago came crashing down upon him.

Xander cleared his throat, and gestured to Corrin. "And now, the one responsible for linking all of us here together today, the future King-Regent of Valla, Prince of Hoshido and Nohr, he who possesses the blood of dragons, and my own brother. Please stand for Lord Corrin Aurelius and Minamoto."

Corrin forced down the lump in his throat as he walked up to where Xander stood. The Nohrian prince took a moment to set a hand on Corrin's shoulder before walking away to stand where the rest of the royals were.

Corrin took a moment to tug nervously at the collar of his tunic. He wasn't afraid of speaking in front of large crowds—far from it. It was just that the context of the whole situation was what set him on edge.

He glanced behind himself to see everyone, including Takumi, nodding or smiling supportively. His eyes lingered on a certain blue-haired songstress, who smiled faintly back at him and nodded supportively. It was then that Corrin spoke, loud and clear.

"For us, the storm has passed. The war between Hoshido and Nohr is over, if not officially yet. Valla has been liberated from Anankos' claws, and we have saved all of those who have suffered at his hands."

Corrin glanced at the motley group of Vallites staring back at him. Many of them were starting to regain the lost mass they lost during their imprisonment, but it wasn't their presence that Corrin knew was important.

These were his future people, the vanguards of a new peace ushered by his actions. They weren't here to honor the dead, though that was certainly a part of it. Rather, they were here to judge their future ruler, to see if he was the man Azura made him out to be, albeit in her own shy way.

At the forefront of the group was a pale old man. Corrin remembered that his name was something starting with an _O_ and that the he used to serve as Azura's father's retainer. He hadn't personally talked or met with the man yet, but judging by concerned expression on his face and how his arms were crossed, Corrin knew that in order to win over the hearts of the Vallites, he had to win over that old man's heart.

Corrin cleared his throat. "All of us here today have made countless sacrifices, sacrifices the likes of which no other person in this world have experienced. But let us never forget the names of those who journeyed into the howling dark and did not return. For their decision required courage beyond measure, sacrifice, and unshakeable conviction that their fight—our fight—was elsewhere. This decision required an unimaginable amount of trust on a prince who, until very recently, no one knew about. I was that prince. Had it not been for the faith and support that all of you had shown me, I doubt any of us would be here today. And so I would like to take this time to commemorate those who went above and beyond the line of the duty. Everyone mentioned previously can all be considered heroes and legends in their own right, but these next few names are the names of the ones who stood by me, from the very beginning to the very end. Their loss pains me beyond measure, as many of them were close enough to be my friends—and to many of you, a comrade. A leader. An ally. A reliable source of backup or safety."

But to me, all of them were members of my elite guard, the ones who chose to fight for peace between our nations from the very beginning. Most of them, I had barely met, and we joined forces simply because it was the most optimal choice at our time of meeting. Others joined us simply because they heard of the cause we were striving towards, and felt that it was necessary to lay their lives down for it. And because of those choices, we shall remember them…"

By the end of it all, his voice was threatening to break, so he silently took up the torch and set ablaze to the shrouds covering his friends' bodies. Ryoma and Xander did the same, except for the respective dead from their own respective kingdoms.

Kaden's shroud was bright orange and adorned with a red pattern reminiscent of the patterns on his fur when he transformed into his alter self. Hana stood silently nearby, not bothering to hide the tears flowing down her face as she rested a hand on her belly. Only two nights ago, had she discovered the news, but without Kaden...was it really that good?

Subaki's was twisted in shades red and white, emblazoned with a logo of swords and lances—Selena's and Caeldori's final gift to their husband and father. The two red-haired women were both unusually quiet that day, and right fully so. As the shroud went up in flames, Selena silently took out a ring attached to a chain from under her tunic and thumbed it absentmindedly.

Shura was a simply black covering with forest-green trimmings. Instead of a design, a scroll—the one containing his plans to rebuild his country—was tied onto where his hands were clasped over his chest by a blue and white tie. The contents were already copied down by Xander's neatest handwriting and Ryoma had already promised to broach the subject of returning the land to its proper owners after leaving the astral plane.

Scarlet was, as expected, a marron red adorned with all manners of jewelry, shiny stones, and other "shiny" objects. Her body was never recovered in Valla, with Ryoma stating it was better for her to remain undisturbed, yet Corrin and Hinoka insisted on her "attendance." Thus, a replica of her favorite spear wrapped in the middle of the shroud.

All those and more, they burned, turning them from cloth to smoke. As Corrin coughed and waved away the smoke from his mouth, he glimpsed Azura watching him, and he knew he had to finish. And so he did.

The whole time, the three hundred or so survivors watched silently, callously, their faces betraying not a jot of emotion as they watched Ryoma, Xander, and Corrin send their friends, brothers, fathers, and allies up into the heavens. It was only when the three royals finished the ceremony and turned to face them, that their faces broke.

Men simultaneously wrapped each other in rough hugs as they said words of encouragement and support to each other. Corrin's siblings each gave each other hugs, but said little as they watched the remains of the once-proud Hoshidan and Nohrian armies interact with each other.

The whole thing was very touching, yet as Corrin watched, he felt increasingly hollow inside, but when he felt Azura's cool hands wrap themselves around his arm, he let himself fall into her embrace and allowed himself to be dragged away by her towards the castle's main hall.

Azura pulled him against her, pinning herself against a stone pillar, and Corrin obliges. She reaches for him, and he's already reaching for her. Their hands find each other grasping and bold.

As they leaned into each other for a kiss, a shadow overfell them. Azura, alarmed, pushed him away. Corrin stumbled backward…right into Leo.

"Gah!" he yelped, jumping away from the blonde and subsequently crashing into Azura, crushing her against the pillar.

She made a small yelp of discomfort as she pushed Corrin away, like a pinball, and thus ensued an awkward moment of Leo and Azura pushing Corrin between themselves, desperate not to be the one catching the half-dragon.

Finally, Corrin managed to find his balance. He smoothened out his cape and adjusted his armor straps as he looked at Leo.

"W-what do you need, Leo?" he asked.

"Where do you two think you were heading off to?" Leo snapped, tugging uncomfortably at his shirt collar. It was only then that Corrin noticed how it was inside-out, but considering the circumstances, decided to remain silent.

"We just had a funeral for the fallen, and by the I turn around, I see you two gone!" Leo continued. "Again, what were you thinking?"

"It was my fault," Azura said immediately, shifting so that it was she who stood in front of Corrin.

"Azura!"

"I saw Corrin was feeling…down, so I decided to comfort him," Azura continued, staring straight into Leo's eyes. "Am I not allowed to do such a thing?"

Leo fidgeted uncomfortably. He remembered a time where Corrin told him how he had walked into Azura bathing and the burning _glare_ she gave him for a week. Evidently, she felt the same way about Leo scolding Corrin after a funeral as she did for people walking in on her naked.

Even though Corrin described the look with words, even the description caused a shudder to run down Leo's spine. But now that he was actually _experiencing_ it…

"Is there anything you need?" Corrin said meekly, peeking out from behind Azura's long blue hair.

"J-just to tell you that Gunter escaped," Leo said, trying to compose himself.

Corrin's eyebrows could've jumped off his face. "He _what?"_ he asked.

"Dungeon cell empty. Gunter gone," Leo repeated, now back up to his usual snarkiness once Azura turned her burning gaze off. As she turned towards Corrin, Leo allowed himself to relax for a split-second.

 _Whew—another second of that and she would've drilled a hole straight through my head._

"Where is he?" Corrin asked, stepping in front of Azura.

"I just told you—the guards don't know where he is," Leo said. "The cell bars are undamaged, there's no sign of tunneling or magic being used. It's like he just _vanished_. In fact, the only sign he was ever there in the first place was the fact that the bread from the food tray was eaten."

"People don't just vanish, Leo," Corrin said crossly. "Besides, there's no way for him to leave the astral plane without Lilith or me knowing, which means he's still inside the castle."

Leo opened his mouth to reply until a couple of guards ran up to them. "Sire!" one of them called. "We've found the prisoner!"

"Where?" Corrin demanded, stepping out from behind the pillar. "Where is he? Is he hurt?"

The guard's face twisted in confusion. "Er—I can't say if he's hurt or not, but a couple others guards saw him sneaking into your study, but weren't able to stop him before he barricaded himself in it."

"He's in my study?" Corrin asked. "Like, the one in your tower?"

The guards nodded fervently. "We were just about to get equipment to break down the door." Upon noticing the pained expression on Corrin's face, the guard added, "He's locked himself in your study, you see. There's no way in or out—unless he intends to jump."

Corrin's eyes widened as a realization came to him. "That's what he might be intending to do," he said in a hushed whisper before shaking his head, the persona of a collected leader replacing the shocked one he wore right now.

"You two, come with me," he ordered to the guards. "Leo, I want you to find at least four other men and have them bring the necessary equipment for storming my study within five minutes. Azura—"

"I'll come with you," she said, already understanding what he was planning to do. "If Anankos is still influencing him somehow, maybe I can use my song to—"

"Out of the question," Corrin interrupted. "I don't want you to take that risk. I just want you by me…in case something goes wrong."

Azura frowned, clearly unhappy with Corrin's orders, but nodded her head.

Leo cleared his throat. "Uh, should we, you know, set some mattresses or beds outside, under your study's balcony in case things goes south?"

Corrin stared at him with a peculiar expression. "W-what? No!" he said. "As soon as you find those men, send them up to the door to my study and head outside and prepare to cast a spell in case he _does_ jump. I don't plan on him doing so, but better safe than sorry."

Leo nodded. "What of Flora and Felicia? And Jakob?"

Corrin hesitated, foot mid-step as he paused. "…keep them away from Gunter," he finally said. "Gunter was…like a father to them, almost as much as he was one to me. I'm sure they'll hate him for betraying me and…I fear bringing them near Gunter may be the thing to push him over the edge."

"Seriously?" Leo deadpanned. "'Over the edge?'"

"That was unintended and you know it!" Corrin said as he, Azura, and the two guards vanished around the corner. "You know what you have to do, Leo, so go do it!"

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the study, Gunter paced back and forth, gnarled hands clutching blindly at his hair.

Seven steps forward. About-face. Seven steps forward. About-face. Seven steps forward. About-face.

Why was he still alive? He should've died long ago! First when Garon killed his family and village, second when Hans—damn that man! —hurled him off The Bottomless Canyon. Third when Anankos tried to take over his body, fourth when Corrin freed him from that damnable wyrm's service, and a fifth time when Anankos died!

 _So why isn't he dead yet?_

A sharp rap at the door interrupted his thoughts, and Gunter's hands automatically shot towards his waist for the dagger he always carried before remembering his status as a prisoner. Hell, save for the pitiful scraps of cloth they gave him for clothes, he was completely naked.

 _Maybe this was just a mistake,_ he thought to himself. _Maybe I should've just awaited my judgement like a common criminal—but no! I have to spare Corrin the pain of—_

Another sharp rap knocked on the door, this time with more force behind it.

"Open up, prisoner!" a man ordered, his voice muffled by the wood. "You have approximately thirty seconds to comply before we break down this door ourselves!"

"Try it!" Gunter replied, palming a letter-opener from Corrin's desk. It was a poor weapon and no replacement for his trust lance or dagger. "If I'm going down, I'm promising you I'll take at least one of you with me!"

 _But I won't, because you all now serve Corrin, and there's no way I could ever hurt him—_

"Erin!" another voice said, its owner sounding much younger and youthful than the burley, seared tone of the other guard. Gunter paused mid-step, a foot still in the air as a chill ran down his spine, realizing who the owner of that voice was.

"Gunter, it's me, Corrin!" Corrin (obviously) said. "What's wrong? How did you get escape from your cell?"

"Stay away from me, milord!" Gunter shouted. "You'd only hurt yourself if you try to help me!"

On the other side of the door, Corrin and Azura shared a pained look.

"Gunter, calm down!" Corrin replied. "I'm not here to hurt you! I just want to—"

"I know you're not here to hurt me," Gunter said, bracing a shoulder against the wooden door. "I'm just afraid of me hurting _you_."

Corrin sighed. "I know," he said tiredly. "Is it because of your betrayal back in Valla?"

Gunter snorted. "What else could it be?" he asked. "The mere fact that you let me live at all afterwards was a sign of weakness. You should've executed me right then and there in that throne room!"

"I spared you, not because of weakness, but because I want to know!" Corrin said, sounding slightly more frustrated now. "I wanted to know _why_ you betrayed us! Was it because of something in the past? Or was it because some other reason?"

"All of my actions are in the past," Gunter said bitterly. "Do you remember what I told you about my relationship with Garon?"

A pause.

"…No. I don't believe you ever did."

Gunter sighed as he leaned against the door, sliding down it until he was sitting, ignoring the aches in his joints and knees. "It was long ago, back when I used to serve as Garon's retainer."

"I remember," said Corrin's voice. "You said he offered you dragon's blood, but you refused, right?"

"Aye. That I did," Gunter agreed. "But what I didn't tell you at the time was his reaction to it."

"What happened?"

Gunter buried his face in his hands as the memories from that night overcame him. "He was greatly offended," he muttered.

"What? I didn't catch that last part. This door's sort of in the way, so if you could just open—"

"I won't allow that!" Gunter suddenly shouted, springing to his feet. "What I've done, and what I'm doing right now…is shameful. I won't let you see me like this!"

Corrin backed away from the door and rose his hands placatingly, even though he knew Gunter could not see him. Azura and the six other men beside him gave him concerned looks.

"Milord," one of them asked, "should we—"

"No," Corrin said, interrupting the man with a wave of his hand. "He's…stressed. Forcing him to cooperate may do us more harm than good right now. Just…just let me deal with him."

"By your command, sire."

Azura clasped Corrin's forearm. "Corrin," she hissed. "You _have_ to solve this peacefully. If this is your first act as King-Regent—"

" _Future_ King-Regent," he hissed back. "We haven't married yet, you know. Plus, the kingdom's not…exactly, you know, a kingdom yet. It's more like a small town."

"You know what I mean!" Azura said, fighting to ignore the blush the butterflies in her stomach at the mere thought of _Corrin_ and _marriage_ in the same sentence. "This is your christening act as the future King-Regent of Valla! If you butcher this, my people will never accept you as their—"

"I _know_ ," Corrin said, sighing and hiding his face in the palm of his hand. "I know what this means to me—to _you_ , but trust me, it'll work out."

Turning back to the door, Corrin said in his most soothing tone, "Okay, I won't open the door, nor am I going to force you to do anything. All I want is for you to tell me what happened after you refused Garon's offer."

Gunter slowly sank down to the floor. "He killed them," he said simply.

"Killed who?"

"My wife," he said simply. "My son. My whole village. Burned, pillaged, and desecrated."

A single tear dropped to the tiled floor.

"And for what?" Gunter continued bitterly. "For refusing his offer? _Bah_. At the time, I thought so, but after serving you, after watching the desolate look on your face when your siblings left you in the Northern Fortress under my care, that was when I understood."

"…understand what?" Corrin asked in a hushed tone.

On the other side, Azura clapped her hands over her mouth as she looked wide-eyed at Corrin. Several of the other guards turned theirs heads away in discomfort, and more than one clenched their fist in anger.

"Damn Nohrians," one said.

"Killing our people and invading our land out of desperation, I can understand, but killing an entire village because your servant refused to take your gift? _Disgusting_ ," another uttered.

"Never did understand how royal minds worked," a third said before being silenced by a look from Corrin and Azura. "…sorry…"

"…what did you understand?" Corrin asked again.

"I…I understood that…I will never understand how the minds of royals worked," Gunter said bitterly. "One moment you're all high and mighty, acting as if you're concerned for the wellbeing of us commoners, and the next, you stoop down to our level and burn us for no other reason than to satisfy your own personal whims. To you all, we're simply weeds—little more than pawns in your _grand old_ scheme."

"Is…is that what you all think of me?" Corrin asked the guards. To his concern, only one or two of them shook their heads.

"I mean, King Garon never really treated us as kindly as you did when we were under your service, milord," one of them said. "But then again, when we _were_ serving under him, at least we knew what we were fighting towards."

"Aye," another said. "I'll stand by ya 'till the end, lor' Corrin, bu' 'til I know of a place where I can raise my lil' girl in your kingdom, Ima'fraid ma' allegiance belongs ta Lor' Xander."

"But you don't hate me the same way Gunter hates royals, right?" Corrin pressed.

"A'course nah'!" the second guard said. "I've seen ya in action, both on 'n off tha' battlefiel', 'n I gotta say, if I could magically change ma side t'be yours from th' get-go, I would've. Nah' alotta people like ya' t'be willin' to lay down their life for 'one they've never met before."

"Same here," a third guard said. "We've heard about how torn you were when we arrived in Valla, and any leader who cares about the mental wellness of their men will have my support at least."

"Well, that's heartening," Corrin muttered. "Thank you."

"Of course, milord."

Gunter was still talking. "After Garon killed my family, I vowed to have my revenge on Nohr and on Garon. When he assigned me to act as your retainer, at first, I thought I should murder you, the same way he murdered my child!"

Corrin shuddered.

"But then…something changed." Gunter's tone softened. "I…when I saw you for the first time, I didn't see something that could help further my goals. I didn't see a way to strike back at Garon. Rather…I saw… _you_."

"Me?"

"At first, I only thought to raise you to further my own goals, befriending you for the sole purpose to use against the man who took everything from me, but as you grew up…that changed. I saw you less and less of a living tool, and more and more of…my son. The son that my child would've grown up to be."

"…Gunter?"

The older man wiped away a tear. "I'm not done with my story yet, boy. I don't know when it happened, or how it happened, but one day…I just forgot."

"Forgot what?"

"My desire for vengeance," Gunter answered. "Gone were the nights I stayed up past dawn dreaming of ways to kill Garon. Gone were loathing glares I gave you whenever you did something that even remotely reminded me of my child. I…I just started…I thought I could put my past behind me."

Gunter shook his bitterly and pounded his fist into the floor, ignoring the screams of protest his now-bruised hand screamed at him. "I was a fool."

"How…how were you a fool?" Corrin asked, a little hesitatingly.

Gunter chuckled humorlessly. "You know what happened. Garon allowed you out of the Northern Fortress for your first 'mission.' Hans threw me down The Bottomless Canyon, and you nearly as well, had it not been for Lilith. At first, I thought I was dead; there was no way anybody could've fallen into The Bottomless Canyon and live…yet there I was. Still alive and as broken and bitter as before. And that was when _he_ found me."

Distaste crept into Corrin's tone as he said, "Anankos."

Gunter nodded. "Anankos," he agreed.

He could still feel the presence of Anankos, cold, dark, damp, and scaly, like an old wet snake against his mind. And that _voice!_ That low whisper uttering empty promises of vengeance and fulfilled promises. The memory disgusts him and he venomously spits onto the floor.

"Did…did you just—"

"While Anankos can possess and puppeteer the dead in whatever way he wished, he had no such control of the _living_ ," Gunter said. "He could control the living as well as he could the dead—at least, without their permission. And he _wanted_ you to give him that permission."

"Their permission?"

"The permission for him to reach into your hearts and see your greatest desires, your deepest secrets," Gunter said. "He always promised to give so much in return for so little, and always promised that he would deliver them…You could say no, and he would leave for a short time, but like a plague, he would always be back, and most at the time whenever you were reminded of your powerlessness."

Gunter leaned forward and clutched his head in his hands. " _He was always there!"_ he hissed. "But once you let him in…that was it! He would grab and twist your will, until that _one_ desire became your every waking moment! It would fester and become an obsession, nay, _an addiction_ , which he would then use to bring you even closer to him! Yes, he was the one who was controlling me in Valla, but had I refused—had I hung on even _just a tiny bit longer—_ he would've never been able to possess me. Thus, I am the one at fault here. Wholly and completely."

Suddenly angry, Gunter rose up and pounded the door with all his strength. Corrin and others on the other side of the door stumbled backwards in shock and surprise as Gunter continued to pound on the wood.

"You don't understand!" he shouted. "I killed Scarlet! I betrayed you!"

"I know—" Corrin started, but was interrupted as Gunter pounded the door again, even louder than before.

"I'm better off dead than alive!" Gunter screamed. "Just because you allowed me to live because of your own freewill, because of your compassion, because you _forgave_ me, it _does not make it alright!_ Corrin, you _have_ to learn that just because you say everything's fine, and that people _act_ fine, it doesn't mean everything _is_ fine! I swore to serve you, yet I betrayed you. And not just you, but also Flora, Felicia, Jakob, Lilith, and Azura! I am an oathbreaker, a treater, and an attempted regicide! These are things you _cannot_ forgive and expect others to think the same!"

"I know but I don't care!" Corrin shouted back, his composure breaking for once. "I don't care that—"

"You should!" Gunter said. "Just because _you_ forgave me doesn't mean I can forgive myself!"

Silence.

"I killed Scarlet, and I nearly killed both you and Azura!" Gunter continued. "How am I supposed to keep on living after that, knowing I almost killed my adoptive son because I got too caught up in the moment of exacting my revenge on the man who took my first son away from me?"

Corrin was silent for a long time, and Gunter thought that the future king had walked away until he heard him say to the guards, "Do it."

That was all the warning he got before the door suddenly exploded inward, showering the room with splinters. Gunter automatically shielded his eyes and face with one hand as he stabbed downward with the letter opener.

To his surprise, he met resistance, and blood coated his hand and arm as he forced his eyes open. To his horror, he saw the end of the letter opener sticking through the back of Corrin's hand, the end coated in blood. He must've either tried to wrestle the blade out of Gunter's hand, but badly misjudged the distance, or else he simply _allowed_ it to happen. Judging by the stone-faced expression on Corrin's face, Gunter guessed it was the latter.

Gunter released the knife and scrabbled away as the patches of blood on his exposed skin began to sting and burn—Corrin's blood.

"Lord Corrin—"

"Gunter, you are to be taken in for…questioning and psychological evaluations," Corrin said, his voice devoid of the pain that should've been caused by the metal sticking out of his hand and full of authority. "If you do not come peacefully with us, we'll have you come by force."

Gunter's face curled in distaste, anger, and hatred, but all directed towards himself.

"I…I cannot," he said.

Corrin's brow furrowed in frustration. "Why?" he shouted. "Why can't you just forgive yourself and come with me? I know you'll never be able to serve as a retainer again because of your actions, and that you betrayed us because a nearly decade-long grudge, but that's okay! I'm alive, Azura's still alive, and we're all fine and dandy! We can—"

"You are _not_ fine and dandy," Gunter growled. He gestured towards Corrin's bloody hand. "I just _stabbed_ you through the hand with a knife! And you _still_ want me around?"

Suddenly, the words he just said and the action he just did sank in. He stumbled backwards until his heels met Corrin's mahogany desk, and he clutched at his head with his hands, ignoring the stinging sensation.

Oh gods," he whispered. "I _stabbed_ you. I _stabbed_ you!"

Corrin rose his hands in a placating gesture as he slowly walked towards Gunter. "Don't worry, I've already called for a healer. She'll be here within seconds, which means there's no permanent harm to your actions. You just…overreacted that's all."

" _Overreacted?"_ Gunter repeated, eye twitching.

"Listen, Gunter," Corrin continued, ignoring Gunter's interruption. "I know you feel incredibly guilty about this whole thing, but please— _trust_ me. I—"

"I cannot," Gunter said curtly as he backed away towards the balcony window. "You know why I can't. Just…please, Lord Corrin. Grant me the release I seek."

"Gunter…"

"Hey hey hey, watch out!" one of the guards shouted.

"He's making a run for it! He's going to jump!"

In one fluid motion, Gunter turned around and wrested the door open, causing a wind to blow in and scatter the paperwork everywhere. Corrin slapped a map out of his face as he squinted into the light. To his alarm, he could see the silhouette of Gunter climbing up onto the railing.

"Gunter!" he shouted. "Don't do anything rash!"

Gunter instead simply turned around and gave a salute in Corrin's direction. "It was an honor serving underneath you, milord. I only wish I could've lived up to your standards, the same way you've lived onto mine."

"Gunter!"

Gunter's foot gave way to empty air, and then he fell…

And fell…

And fell.

* * *

A/N: I promise I'm okay guys, I promise! Also, if there's any problems with how I portrayed the Corrin x Azura fluff moments, please let me know!


	37. Chapter 36

A/N: Keepin' the grind train a-goin'! Sorry if the last chapter hit a little bit close to home, but I apologize doubly so if you guys feel that this chapter uses too many McGuffins to tie things up. Also sorry if the talk around the middle gets a little bit too...modern, for your taste. But I'm only on spring break for another 4 3 days, and I want to use this type to push out as many works as possible, especially since final exams are coming up.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of its characters.

* * *

"Dammit!" Corrin shouted, running to where Gunter had been standing before he fell.

As he looked down, he was afraid he was going to see Gunter's broken form on the floor, or even worse, a patch of blood, but to his surprise, Gunter's frame was floating amicably down to the ground. It was only then that Corrin remembered what he said to Leo prior meeting with Gunter.

" _Uh, should we, you know, set some mattresses or beds outside, under your study's balcony in case things goes south?"_

 _Corrin stared at him. "W-what? No! As soon as you find those men, send them up to the door to my study and head outside and prepare to cast a spell in case he does jump. I don't plan on him doing so, but better safe than sorry."_

"Safe than sorry, huh?" he muttered to himself.

He did not turn his head as he felt Azura's hands on his shoulder.

"Oh gods, Corrin," she breathed. "What have we done?"

Corrin opened his mouth to speak, closed it when no sound came out, opened it again, and closed it for the second time before shaking his head. His jaw set, and his face as hard as stone, he turned and walked way, through the study, ignoring the mess made by the wind, strode down the stairs, and through the castle until he was where Leo was gently levitating Gunter's frame down the floor. The six guards who accompanied him followed Corrin silently down the stairs.

Already, there was a crowd gathered around the old retainer, everyone pushing and shoving in order to catch a peel at the sight. Corrin signaled for the six guards accompanying him and Azura to spread out and prevent the crowd from getting too close.

"Keep everyone away," he ordered, his tone low. "We have to keep this under wraps, do you understand?"

"As you wish, milord."

As he approached Leo, Gunter turned his head to look at Corrin. "Why?" he rasped. "Why won't you let me die honorably?"

"Because you're not a Hoshidan and only Hoshidans can die with honor," Leo deadpanned. "Nohrians just die. No glamor, no nothing."

Corrin shot a withering glare at Leo that said _really? Not now._ Leo shrugged and stepped away as Corrin cradled Gunter's body.

"I cast a full body-binding hex on him," Leo explained. "It's going to be impossible for him to move. That way, you can talk to him without fear of him hurting himself…or you."

"Thank you, Leo," Corrin said, not looking away from the older man whose head he cradled in his arms.

"Why, Gunter?" he whispered. "Why are you so ashamed of yourself that you would rather prefer taking your own life rather than stay and face the consequences?"

"I can't," Gunter said simply. "Anankos took control of me once before. Who's—"

"Anankos is said!" Corrin interrupted. "Anankos is dead and I killed him! You don't need to worry about his influence anymore!"

"I'm not worried about _his_ influence," Gunter growled. "I'm worried about the mark it left on me! I told you before, milord—Anankos would've never possessed me if I hadn't let him turn my drive to exact revenge on Garon into an obsession! I can't be trusted around you, or any royals for that matter, and I'm definitely not worth the time and effort needed to imprison me."

Corrin sighed as he bowed his head. "You're not well, Gunter," he said, shaking Gunter's shoulders and forcing him to his feet. "We're taking you some place safe so we can help you can get better."

"What's going on here?"

Corrin looked up as a pale old man managed to push his way through one of the six guards Corrin had ordered to keep the crowd back. Corrin raised an eyebrow as he realized that the man was the same man he had glimpsed during the ceremony, the one standing in front of the Vallites.

"Who are you?" Corrin asked, grimacing inwardly at how terribly forward that sounded.

The old man bowed. "Ah, please forgive me for interrupting," he apologized. "Otis Argyis at your service. I was Queen Azura's father's retainer, you see, and…" Otis shook his head. "Never mind that now. What's going on?"

Corrin pursed his lips as he signaled to Azura that she should distract Otis while he took care of Gunter. Azura nodded, understanding, and stepped forward to put herself between them and Otis.

"I'm so sorry, Otis," she said, "but unfortunately, we're having a bit of a crisis right now, so please understand if we have to hide anything from you and your people this soon into meeting Lord Corrin. He's a wonderful ruler, I'm sure, but—"

"Oh, I've heard the tales of Prince Corrin and Queen Azura already!" Otis said earnestly, waving a hand away. "I'm just here to tell you that what that old man floating in the air there is suffering from is an illness that us Vallites named 'Anankos' Curse.'"

Corrin froze. "What?"

"'Anankos' Curse,'" Otis repeated. "Haven't you heard of it?"

"I don't—"

Otis rubbed his chin. "Well, then again, Anankos _has_ been keeping the knowledge of Valla away from the rest of the world, so I guess it's not that far off to guess that nobody's heard of the disease, much less Anankos and Valla. Anankos' Curse, as we have named because of the fact that only those possessed by Anankos himself, a _disease_ that plagues those who were possessed by Anankos, either willingly or unwillingly—"

"You don't just _let_ Anankos possess you," Gunter said bitterly. "You have a choice."

"That's not important right now!" Otis said, flapping his hands. "The point is, your friend, Lord Corrin, is suffering from Anankos' Curse. I can't explain how I know, but—"

"Perhaps," Leo interrupted, "we should take this conversation inside?"

He gave a pointed glance towards the crowd of people leaning in, desperate to hear the words being passed between the group.

Corrin nodded. "We should," he agreed.

Together, Corrin, Leo, Azura, and Otis helped Gunter into the main hall, with the guards slowly following them and attempting to push back the clamoring crowd of people.

"Captain, keep those people out of here," Leo ordered.

"Of course, sire."

As they walked through the hall, Elise ran up to them, her healing staff already In hand.

"Heya!" she chirped. "I heard you needed me, Corrin?"

Corrin glanced behind himself at where Leo was dragging Gunter. Elise followed his gaze and frowned at the sight of the older man being dragged.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked, kneeling down. "Is he hurt?"

Corrin grimaced. "Physically, no. Mentally though…"

Elise looked up in concern at Corrin and her eyes widened at the sight of his hand dripping blood onto the floor. "Oh my gods! Corrin, your hand!"

"Hm?" Corrin looked down at the offending hand, as if he just realized that there was still a knife sticking through it. "Oh, uh, I think that's why I called you here."

"You're going to catch an infection from that if you don't let me heal that!" Elise said, the staff in her hands already beginning to glow.

"Actually, can we wait for us to do this later?" Corrin asked. "I know it's serious, but there's something we need to do before—"

Elise planted her hands on her hips and glared up at Corrin, pouting. The stance was meant to be intimidating, but with Corrin, even as short as he is, standing a full two heads above her, the effect was lost on him as he tilted his head.

"Nuh-uh!" Elise said, waggling a finger in front of him. "I'm a healer, and I know my stuff, and my stuff is telling you that you need to have that wound looked at. _Now_."

Corrin sighed and gave a concerned glance over his shoulder at Azura and Gunter. "How long is it going to take?" he asked Elise.

Elise gently took Corrin's wounded hand and ran a critical eye over it. "How long ago did this happen?" she asked.

Corrin shrugged. "I'd reckon about three of four minutes ago. Gunter stabbed me in the hand with a letter opener, so—"

"Gunter did _what?"_

"Not important. Point is, it happened less than fifteen minutes ago," Corrin said. "How long is it going to take for you to heal me?"

Elise poked gingerly at a particularly sensitive spot on Corrin's hand, causing him to wince.

"Well, thankfully, the wound looks clean enough for me to address here, but it's always better safe than sorry, which means you'll have to come with me to the infirmary," she said. "Shouldn't take more than half an hour, since you _did_ get stabbed in a place where there's a lot of muscles and stuff."

Corrin groaned and looked back at Leo and Azura. "Can we take Gunter to the infirmary with me, instead of…wherever we were going? Actually, where were we going in the first place."

"I thought you'd take him to your study," Leo said, confused.

Corrin and Azura both stared at him.

"Gunter _jumped_ from the study, Leo," Azura reminded him. "Why would we take him somewhere where he could do the same thing again?"

Leo rubbed his chin. "I suppose you're right. A lack of foresight on my hand, I suppose. But how are we supposed to get Gunter to the infirmary in the first place? There's a literal horde of people outside, asking us what's going on. I doubt they'll just let us through without spreading some kind of rumor."

"That's a risk we'll have to take," Corrin said as Elise tugged him away. "I'd rather have rumors spread around us and have Gunter cured of this 'curse.'"

Leo sighed. "Alright then, but don't say I didn't warn you."

* * *

A few minutes later, the group, including Otis, all gathered around Corrin who was sitting in a chair as Elise tended to his hand. Gunter, still wrapped in the binding spell Leo cast on him, was laid gently on the cot next to Corrin, and was now watching all of them cautiously.

"Alright Otis," Corrin said. "Tell us about this 'curse.'"

The older man cleared his throat. "Well, this curse isn't actually a curse. There's no magic behind it, it's all mental."

"Explain," Leo said.

Otis rubbed his hands together as he pulled up another chair. "Well, I don't know too much about this curse. As I've already told you before, only people who have been directly possessed by Anankos but were released by him for some reason, but considering how…unlikely that was, the only reports we have of it came from rumors and whispers spread among us by the other prisons."

"How did you communicate with them?" Leo asked. "We found your group in a _dungeon._ There was no way you could've sneaked out to arrange a meeting with other Vallites from the other prisons."

Otis raised a finger. "Ah, but that's where you are mistaken, my young prince. No _Hoshidan_ or _Nohrian_ could've communicated with the other slaves, but us Vallites are…a _special_ brand."

"What do you mean?" Corrin asked, sitting up.

Otis traced a random pattern on his wrist before answering. "Vallites…always had a special relationship with their god. Anankos, before he went mad, of course, gifted Vallites with the ability to utilize water in…many different ways."

Azura blinked. "Like being able to travel through them?" she asked, causing Corrin and Leo to look at her curiously.

Otis nodded earnestly and leaned forward. "Yes, yes!" he said. "Abilities like that! Vallites were able to transport themselves to any location they wished for, so long as they had enough water and knew enough of the place for them to know the name of. There were other abilities as well, such as being able to use water as a way of communicating with each other, as well as _very_ subtle manipulation, you see. Of course, Anankos knew all of that, which was why he starved us of water, giving us just enough to survive, but…but whenever one of our own died, we were able to use their portion to talk with one of the other slaves before the guards came to collect the water."

"What did you talk about?" Leo asked.

Otis leaned back and rubbed his chin. "Nothing much," he admitted. "Just making sure the others were alright and such. But one day, one of the other slaves talked about how one of his friends was suffering from what we now call Anankos' Curse."

"What happened?"

Otis closed his eyes as he tried to remember. "He said that his friend was suffering in much the same way as your friend here," he said, gesturing to Gunter, who continued to look fastidiously away from Corrin. "Immense guilt, anxiety, tendency for self-harm. Attempting to take their own life."

Otis drew a sharp breath. "My friend told me that Anankos possessed his friend in order to learn more about some invaders who were intruding on his territory. You see, his friend was part of the Nohrian army and was visiting his mother in Valla when _he_ came. That's why Anankos chose him. He wanted to learn more about Nohr, and once he learned all that he could, he…just left him." Otis snapped a finger. "Just like that."

"So this former Nohrian soldier was possessed by Anankos, but was released?" Corrin asked. "And he experienced the exact same symptoms as Gunter?"

Otis nodded. "Granted, there were a few differences here and there, but the two cases were mostly the same. Like I said, immense guilt, anxiety, self-harm, and attempts on their own life."

"What happened to him?" Azura asked quietly. "Did he—"

"According to my friend, he died shortly before they were rescued," Otis said regrettably. "But not because of the Curse, no. The Curse, while it can drive those afflicted by it to take their own lives, cannot physically kill its victims like a disease can. My friend's friend died simply because of starvation. Nothing else."

Azura pursed her lips. "I see," she said simply before reseating herself next to Corrin.

"Is there any way for us to treat it?" Corrin asked.

Otis shook his head. "Not that we know of. But then again, we _were_ imprisoned in Valla for more than a decade. It's very possible Hoshido and Nohr could've developed treatment for the Curse while we were…indisposed."

"Elise?" Corrin asked questioningly.

The blonde looked up, her curls bouncing. "I'm sorry, big bro. I'm a healer, not a therapist. Gunter's condition sounds more mental than physical, so I'm afraid I won't be able to help. Sorry."

Corrin sighed. "Don't worry," he said tiredly. "We'll find a way."

Leo rubbed his chin, deep in thoughts. "Actually, there might be," he said.

Everyone looked at him. Even Gunter glanced at Leo before returning his gaze to the ceiling.

"And…what way is this?" Corrin asked. "What do we need? Is it a type of vulnerary, or—"

"No, no, nothing like that," Leo said, shaking his head. "There's no type of medicine that can treat mental illnesses, unless you count narcotics, but I doubt getting Gunter addicted to those is any better. As if he wanted to take them, anyways."

"Then what type of treatment are you talking about?" Azura asked.

Leo pointed towards Elise. "Remember what she said? She said she's a healer, not a therapist. So, why don't we get Gunter a therapist?" he said. "While Camilla, Elise, and I never had one before, Xander told us about how Garon forced him to take sessions with this one therapist for his depression—"

"Xander has depression?"

" _Had_ depression, Corrin," Leo said. "We don't talk about it much, but yes. Xander did deal with some…very heavy thoughts before in the past. Maybe his therapist is the thing that can help Gunter."

Corrin tried to shoot to his feet before Elise laid a flat palm on his chest and forcefully pushed him back down with a surprising amount of strength and a sassy "Nuh-uh!"

"Where is this therapist?" Corrin asked. "And how fast can he get here?"

Leo rubbed his chin. "Well, last I heard, his business was based in Nohr, but if the situation is _that_ bad—"

"Of course it's bad!" Corrin interrupted. "Gunter's suffering from an illness that _nobody_ in this castle can cure! How far away is this therapist, and how fast can he get here?"

"If my memory serves me correctly, he lives in a village near the western border of Nohr," Leo said. "From there to here—or at least where you planned for New Gyges to be set—it should take about two to three months. Max."

"And the minimum?"

"A month and a half." Leo crossed his arms. "You know any sort of travel along The Bottomless Canyon can be dangerous, Corrin. Plus, we're talking about traveling across an entire _country_. It's not going to be instantaneous."

"Ask Xander for the name of this therapist and explain to him the situation," Corrin ordered. "I want that therapist here before the winter solstice, got it?"

"Er, just one question," Leo said, raising a finger. "We're…you know New Gyges doesn't actually _exist_ yet in the other world yet, right? We're still stuck in the astral plans, you know that, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Corrin said, his impatience and wish to get back to work, now not because of getting it done for the sake of getting it done, but because Gunter's wellness now hung in the balance, making him sound more irritated than before. "Don't worry, Leo," he reassured. "Before the end of the week, I'll have all the paperwork done. I promise."

"Don't promise me," Leo scoffed. "Promise yourself. It's your retainer we're talking about here."

Corrin shot a glare at Leo before standing up (with Elise's permission, of course) and standing by Gunter's side.

"Do you hear that, Gunter?" he asked. "Less than two months. Less than two months before we can help you with this…Curse. Just hang in there, alright?"

"Why?" Gunter rasped. "Why do you keep trying to help me?"

"Because you're my friend, and you'll always be important to me," Corrin said gently.

"I tried to kill—"

"I know," Corrin said simply. "I know you tried to kill me, but you didn't. That's what's important. If you want to leave or distance yourself from me, fine. I won't fight against your wishes, but at least gift me the knowledge of knowing that you'll be safe and healthy without me, alright?"

"But—"

Corrin took Gunter's hand and squeezed. "Please?"

Gunter sighed. "You always were stubborn, milord," he said, but with the faintest hint of a smile on his scarred face. "Just…after all this, after you cure me of this damned illness…just leave me be, will you?"

"Gunter—"

"I'm making this request not as a retainer to a king, but as a friend to a friend." Gunter took Corrin's hand in his own, the gnarled, wrinkled hand a stark contrast to Corrin's own pale, slightly callused skin. "If this treatment does work…I think I'll need some time to myself, alright?"

Corrin pursed his lips. "Very well then," he said hesitatingly. "As you wish. Friend…to friend."

* * *

"Corrin?"

Azura gently rapped on the door to Corrin's study, the door already having been replaced with another. Unlike the first door, which was made of oak, this new door was made of birch, the lighter wood in stark contrast to the darker wood splinters scattered across the floor.

"Come in!"

Azura gently pushed the door open to see Corrin setting away the papers that had been blown away by the wind when Gunter pushed open the door leading to the balcony. Azura rose an eyebrow when she saw Jakob and Flora alongside Corrin, helping him pick up the scattered papers and maps.

"Oh, hello Queen Azura," Flora greeted as she set a stack of papers into a filing cabinet besides the bookcase. "We're almost done here, so you two will be able to be alone together soon."

Corrin's head peeked out from behind his desk. "Actually, I think most of my work is back where they were before," he said. "You two can go on ahead. Thanks for the help."

Jakob frowned as he precariously balanced a stack of empty coffee mugs in his arms—the results of Corrin's sleep deprivation. "Are you sure, milord?" he asked. "Surely, there must be something—"

" _Thanks_ for the help," Corrin insisted. He stood up, wiping his hands clean on his trousers. "You two can go. That's an order. Go enjoy your night together or something."

"But—"

Corrin's eyes narrowed. "Good. Night. Jakob."

Jakob sighed. "Very well, then," he said before walking out of the room, Flora in tow.

Before the maid left the room, she paused at the doorway. "I've already organized all of your files by alphabetical order in the filing cabinet, milord," she said. "If there's any problems—"

Corrin waved a hand in a shooing motion. "Yeah, yeah," he said tiredly. "I got it."

Flora tucked her hands in front of her skirt and bowed before leaving, the click of her heels gently echoing down the stairs.

Once she was sure Flora and Jakob were out of earshot, Azura padded over the where Corrin was still crouched behind his desk, muttering to himself as he picked out random papers here and there, only to set them aside. Azura sat herself on Corrin's chair, marveling silently to herself at it's surprising hardness.

"How do you even sit in this thing?" she asked, getting back up. "It's like sitting on a rock, except the rock probably has more curves than your chair."

Corrin blew a strand of white hair out of his eyes as he looked up at Azura. "I don't," he replied. "It's to make sure I don't fall asleep again."

"'Again?'" Azura queried, an eyebrow raised. "Since I forced you to sleep, how many hours of sleep have you gotten so far?"

Corrin shook his head. "First off, is it really forced if, secretly, I wanted to do it? Especially when it involved _you_ and your bed?"

Azura blushed and looked away, tossing a strand of her hair over her shoulder in mock indignation. "Well, _excuse_ me for trying to make sure you actually fell asleep," she replied cheekily. "It's not my fault you can't sleep without a woman at my side."

In response, Corrin poked at her in the side, right where she was most ticklish. She yelped and flexed away, only to respond by lightly slapping Corrin on the top of his head. "Corrin!"

"Secondly, I have been going to a reasonable bedtime," Corrin said, rising up. His head easily surpassing hers. "I can sleep just fine on my own without having a beautiful woman by my side, thank you very much. Trust me, you don't need to worry about my sleep schedule."

Azura somehow managed to blush deeper as she sat down in a nearby armchair, the leather _much_ more comfortable than Corrin's own chair. "'Beautiful?'" she repeated. "Please, Corrin. I admit that I can be many things, but I'm afraid 'beautiful' isn't one of them."

Corrin briskly walked over to her and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. "Of course not," he replied.

Azura opened her mouth in shock and surprise, but was quickly silenced when Corrin planted another kiss on her lips.

"You're _perfect,_ " he whispered.

Azura shivered. "I don't think I'm perfect," she mumbled as Corrin pulled away.

" _You_ don't think so, but I do," Corrin replied as he resumed his work. "Just because you feel that you're filled with flaws doesn't mean that it's true."

Azura shook her head as she pushed Corrin away with her foot. "Shush you," she said.

Corrin looked back and stuck his tongue out at her as he knelt down again by his desk. Azura smiled and rested a finger on her chin as she watched Corrin work. There was always something soothing about watching him work, but she didn't know why. It's not like he filed papers any different from herself, but it still soothed the same way it did whenever he smiled at her.

Or when he held her hand. Or complimented her. Or looked at her.

Azura shook her head. _Get a hold of yourself, woman! He may be your lover, but you're still the future Queen-Consort of Valla!_

"So…" she said.

"So what?" Corrin replied, not looking up from his work.

"How are you feeling?"

Instantly, the mood shifted. Corrin froze for a moment before he continued working.

"Feeling about what?" he asked, his voice as sharp and as clear as glass.

Azura mentally kicked herself. _What was she thinking?_

She sighed. Well, it's not like they could postpone this talk forever.

"I'm asking how you're feeling about Gunter," she said bluntly. "Especially since with, you know, his whole suicide attempt and—"

"Let's _not_ use the word suicide," Corrin said. "He was…just trying out a desperate solution."

Azura nodded slowly. "If you say so," she said.

Corrin continued working in silence, with Azura watching equally as quiet. Finally, Corrin broke the silence by saying, "If you want to know, the answer is not good."

He stood up and turned to face her, leaning back against his desk as he tapped out a convoluted rhythm with his fingers. "He tried to _kill_ himself, Azura," he said, leading forward. "How am I supposed to feel about one of my closest allies trying to end their own lives?"

"Corrin—"

"I mean, like, I get how he tried to kill us and all, but seeing Gunter act like that is…hard" Corrin continued. "Especially when you realize that literally the entire reason why I'm the person I am today is because of him!"

"Corrin—"

"And that whole thing about 'Anankos' Curse?' It sounded a lot like that thing you said I had back in Valla, when we were resting at the fort. What did you say it was called?"

"Survivor's guilt, but Corrin, listen to me—"

Corrin gestured wildly towards her. "Survivors guilt! That's the name! I had those same feelings of immense guilt after Scarlet was killed trying to protect me, but I never tried to end myself! So why is Gunter—"

"Corrin!"

Corrin flinched as he realized how Azura had to _shout_ to get his attention, something that had only happened twice since they met by the lake, so long ago.

"S-sorry," he apologized. "I sort of got caught up, didn't I?"

Azura huffed. "You think?"

She stood up and walked over to him. Corrin looked away from her as she took his head in her hands and pressed him against her stomach. She gently stroked his cheek as she ran her other hand through Corrin's hair.

"Yes, you may have felt the same as Gunter during that day, but you also don't know what other feelings he may be experiencing," she murmured. "Just because the two of you experienced guilt for your past actions or inactions does not mean you two are feeling the exact same emotions. You felt guilt because Scarlet died trying to protect you, and you were unable to do anything. Gunter felt guilty because he realized that he set everything on the line for an old grudge, which meant he put _you_ in danger. As your unofficial adoptive father, of course he would hate himself for that. No parent, adoptive or not, should have to watch their child suffer because of their past."

Corrin said something, his voice muffled by her stomach. Azura loosened her hold on Corrin's head enough for him to pull back.

"But why did he have to try and take his own life?" he asked. "Why couldn't we just have talked it out?"

"Oh, Corrin…"

Azura tightened her hold again on Corrin's head. He fought for a second before allowing himself to go limp, his head rested against Azura's stomach, which rose and fell with each breath she took.

"Sometimes…people just can't live with their feelings," she said slowly, carefully picking out each word. "I…if words could solve everything, there would be no war, but unfortunately, that's simply not the case. I know how we always cheered each other up by talking to each other about our problems, but Gunter is…different. He's seen too many things—done too many things—for him to simply 'talk it out' with a friend. I can't speak for him, but…but I guess he just thought that it would be easier to die than it would be to deal with the guilt and emotions that came with betraying you."

"If we can't help Gunter by talking, then how is that therapist going to help?" he asked, voice muffled. "How is what that therapist going to do any different than from how you helped me?"

"Because…I don't know," Azura admitted. "I…I never dealt with thoughts as strong as Gunter's, and I never saw a therapist besides the time Mikoto thought I wasn't eating because I was 'too skinny' when I was fourteen. Turns out I just had—and still have—a really fast metabolism."

"Ha…ha," Corrin said weakly. "So that's why you always eat so much. But how is that therapist going to help?"

Azura simply stroked Corrin's head again, marveling at the softness of his hair. "He's…going to talk to Gunter. Remind him of the things worth living for, all the good he's done before in the past and tell him of all the good he could do in the future. Besides that…I don't know. We'd just have to hope and see."

Corrin hummed deep in his chest, causing Azura to look down in surprise before resuming stroking his head. The hum, Azura learned, was Corrin's own unique, draconic way of telling her that though he accepted her words, there was still something bothering him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, pausing her petting for a moment.

"Nothing," came the reply.

Azura pinched the tip of Corrin's ears, but not _too_ hard. Turns out the pointed ends of Corrin's ears were a lot more sensitive than a human's.

Corrin flinched and flexed away, rubbing the mark with a hand. "Hey!" he protested. "What was that for?"

Azura said nothing but crossed her arms and rose an eyebrow. She tapped a foot.

Corrin sighed. "Alright, alright," he said, caving under Azura's gaze. "I was just worried about…about the Vallites finding out about me and Lilith."

"Lilith?"

"Remember what Laslow, Odin, and Selena told us?" Corrin asked. "They said that Lilith was Anankos' right-hand woman, the one responsible for torturing the slaves. I doubt that they won't hold any grudges towards her, but not holding any grudges towards dragons as a whole? That's…"

"Impossible," Azura finished. "And I agree. I know that you're afraid the Vallites will reject you because of your draconic counterpart, but I'm afraid the only way to deal with that problem is by being earnest as a human."

"Earnest…?"

"Doing everything you can as a human to make yourself seem as helpful and kind as the rumors say," Azura said. "You _are_ helpful and kind, but the way the rumors make you out to be makes you look like a saint."

Corrin's lips curl in distaste. While he was comfortable being looked at as a leader, he never wanted to be looked as a _god_. Gods know how many gods are also dragons.

"A saint?" he repeated.

Azura nodded. "If you act kind towards everyone, when the secret gets out, people will be less likely to denounce you as being a dangerous beast whose bloodlust knows no bounds—," Corrin cringed at her choice of words, "—and more likely to see you as somebody who sacrificed so much to help them."

"But what if what happened to Anankos happens to me?" he whispered, and in that moment, Azura could see the fear and uncertainty in his eyes.

The sight caused her heart to lurch. She had only seen that look once before, and it nearly broke her the first time.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean, didn't Anankos go mad because his people betrayed him?" Corrin asked. "What if the Vallites betray us? What if what happened to Anankos happens to me?"

Azura's heart lurched again. "Are…are you talking about the time…"

Corrin nodded. "Yes."

They both knew what Corrin was talking about. Azura's hand moved unconsciously to her neck and collarbone as the memory of a dragon appearing for the first time in centuries moved to the forefront of her mind. Mirroring Azura's own action, Corrin stuck a hand down his tunic to rub his dragonstone, feeling how the power contained within such a tiny stone pulsed and writhed, desperate for release.

Azura silently gritted her teeth to prevent a yelp of pain from escaping her lips as she felt a _claw_ poke her back. She looked down and was concerned to see Corrin's blank, empty stare into nothing.

"Corrin," she said. "Corrin?"

Corrin blinked and shook his head. Behind her, a flash of light appeared as Corrin's hand transformed back into its human counterpart.

"Yes? What's wrong?"

Azura's hand went to her back, where the claw had touched her. To her concern, the cloth was torn, though there appeared to be no breach in her skin.

"You…you partially transformed again."

"Oh."

Corrin bowed his head, looking down at his feet. His hands nervously clasped around each other.

"I'm scared," he finally admitted after a moment's silence. "Scared that what happened to Anankos will happen to me. I mean, what if I go mad, like he did? You saw what he was capable of! The world can't handle another Anankos. Not again!"

"It won't happen again because you're _not_ Anankos," Azura said. "You may be his son, but Anankos was never truly loved by his people. They were grateful to him for creating a home for them, but they didn't _love_ him the same way the Vallites and I love you."

Corrin chuckled humorlessly. "Oh, please," he said dryly. "I haven't even talked with any of the Vallites yet except for Otis, and that was only so he could tell us what Gunter was suffering from."

"You talk to me," Azura deadpanned.

"That's different."

Corrin sighed again as pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sure, I may never become as evil as Anankos, but that doesn't mean I won't become as mad as him."

"You _won't_ ," Azura insisted. "You won't go mad because you'll always have my love and support for you to bring you back. That's what my song is for, isn't it?"

Corrin scowled. Ever since Anankos' death, he'd been uneasy about Azura's insistence on keeping her pendant.

* * *

" _It's a reminder of your curse!" he had said. "Why would you ever want to keep something that would hurt you as much as it hurts me?"_

" _It's not supposed to hurt you," she replied dryly. "It's supposed to help you."_

" _Yes, but at what cost?"_

* * *

"Corrin? Corrin, your hand transformed again."

Corrin blinked and hastily corrected his mistake. "Sorry," he apologized. "Just getting…caught up in some old memories."

Azura sighed. "Is it about my pendant?" she asked.

Corrin nodded.

Azura sighed again. "Corrin, I already told you, I don't keep it so I can hurt you, I keep it so—"

"I know what you keep it for," Corrin interrupted. "I just wished you didn't have to hurt yourself every time you sang that song."

"It hasn't been hurting me since Anankos' death," she said.

Corrin's eyes narrowed. "How do you know? Have you been singing it?"

"I used it to help wash a spoon," she said flatly, staring at Corrin in the eyes. "It didn't hurt me then, and it won't hurt me later. Plus, it's not as if I'm willing to use it. I only wear it so people don't doubt the fact that I'm royalty, not because I'm a masochist."

Corrin averted his eyes before returning his head to the position of Azura's stomach. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I just got…overprotective for a second there, I guess."

Azura smiled and resumed her stroking. "Yes, well, lucky for you, it's your over-protectiveness that I find so charming."

Corrin hummed again in his chest, though unlike the first type of hum, this one was more human, a sign that Corrin was content. At least for the time being.

"Thank you," he said, his voice husky and raspy. "Thank you so much. You have no idea what your words mean to me."

Azura simply smiled. "Of course, Corrin. We are, after all, two halves of a whole."

* * *

A/N: Next "chapter" (it's actually an interlude) is going to be a bit more lighthearted than this one. It's already in the works, so be prepared! Also, new profile on AO3. I already posted this work on there, but maybe some of you might want to check out my profile there as well. It's the same username, "Daxmvarg," and the work is the same as this one.


	38. Interlude: A Stewing Situation

A/N: Okay, so I guess I'll be answering reviews everytime I do an interlude, so I'll keep a number next to each user to show which chapter they asked that back in. It's going to be the one the system uses, so even though Chapter 35 for my work is labeled as Chapter 36 in the system, I'll use the system's version, for simplicity's sake.

 **Guest (Ch 36): Yeah, I guess having a 97% casualty rate is abnormally high...but think about it. There's a simulation somewhere on the internet that gives you the approximate number of survivors if a military force was suddenly attacked by a tsunami of zombies/aliens/plants/whatever. Corrin's forces numbered around 10,000, a respectable number, sure, but 10,000 soldiers versus 1.2 MILLION people, who all have the ability to fight as well as the best soldier or fighter because of the pseudo-hive mind...the numbers aren't going to be pretty. Plus, this point is going to come up later in the story. Trust me, there's a method to my madness.**

 **Guest (Ch 35): Yeah, yeah, I know all that jazz about SOL and Garon immediately putting them into service...but I don't ever remember reading or seeing how long they were actually in Fateslandia before bumping into Garon. Plus, they were in pretty rough shape following their escape, which meant they'll probably need a couple weeks, minimum, to recover, collect enough funds to keep themselves in shape, and think of a "cover story."**

 **Delta446 (Ch 37): Haha, yes, I'm a big Halo fan. Halo 3 may have a mediocre story (relatively) but the way they portrayed the Gravemind is the perfect way of portraying such an ancient and primal threat.**

 **aratakasugatrinity7 (Ch 7): Granted, yet, I admit I wrote this arc rather poorly in comparison to my later chapters, but...** **C'mon, people are going to gossip and siblings are going to get concerned and offer their own tidbits of advice. This chapter was definitely supposed to be a more "humorous" one, but when you read into the lore, I feel like this chapter's contents isn't *too* unbelievable.** **Yes, Corrin is biologically an adult, but you gotta remember, being basically locked up in the Northern Fortress with people supervising you isn't exactly the best scenario for a child to learn about the bird and the bees.** **Secondly, they're in the middle of a war. You can't expect your leader to be floundering off with a woman in the dead of night when there's s*** that needs to be done.** **So yes, maybe I made the characters treat the protagonists like children, but in all seriousness, if you had multiple siblings who are all older than you, chances are, they're going to offer you advice and information. This chapter is supposed to be more light-hearted than the rest, but if you dislike this chapter, that's cool man. I won't be making changes, especially since I'm now 20+ chapters ahead, but I promise I'll try to avoid having people treat the protagonists like children (even though socially, one of them is).** **Also, sex before marriage is a big no-no, at least in the medieval times. And guess what time period FE Fates is set in?**

 **(Note to self: it's not actually medieval, but that's just the best word to describe the overall setting of the Fire Emblem universe in general)**

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of the characters.

* * *

"Corrin, you said that you never talked to the Vallites?"

Corrin looked up from his desk at Azura. "Sorry, what was the question again?"

Azura set down the picture she was holding back on the bookcase. Ever since she returned from Valla, she had been helping the newly rescued Vallite slaves adjust to their new life, a life of freedom.

But with Corrin constantly being tucked away so he could finish the paperwork needed for New Valla, and Azura constantly being pulled away to help her people settle in, it meant the two royals had little time for each other. Thus, Azura began spending more and more of her free time in Corrin's study, usually doing nothing except for simply enjoying his presence.

Corrin, on the other hand, appreciated these little breaks for the monotonous lines of texts he had to read through every minute for the past four days. Four days ago, Gunter had tried to take his own life, and he had been planning on working himself to the bone so that the therapist Leo said could help Gunter could actually _find_ New Gyges, considering the fact that it didn't exist yet in the real world.

(It technically did, but Lilith had explained that to him _long_ ago.)

Thus, Corrin promised himself to finish _all_ of the paperwork before the end of the week, a daunting task for even the most hardened of scholars or government officials, yet Corrin had to it with gusto. Unfortunately, that also meant he was slowly becoming more and more of a recluse to the newly rescued Vallites, who were all curious to see their king in the flesh for once, and not in rumors or passing glances whenever he ventured out of his study for a quick trip to the lavatory.

"I said," Azura repeated, "Have you ever talked with the Vallites before? You know, your own people? The people that you're supposed to lead?"

"I thought you were supposed to lead them?" Corrin asked quizzingly. "You know, what with being their queen and all."

Azura frowned. "I thought we agreed that _you'd_ become the King-Regent, the one who's supposed to be giving all the speeches while I do all the behind-the-scenes stuff as the Queen-Consort?"

Corrin idly scratched his head with the back of a pen. "Oh yeah, huh. Guess I forgot about that for a second."

Azura planted her hands on her hips and stared at Corrin unimpressed. "You know, royalty is supposed to have at least two retainers and a steward, right? You know, the ones _responsible for doing the paperwork for them?_ "

Corrin nodded disinterestedly. "Uh-huh, yeah. Say, Azura. Do you know what a 'steward' is? I know Lilith is my attendant, and she's basically responsible for doing things like cooking meals, cleaning clothes, carrying messages—you know, stuff Flora also does—but what's a steward? I'm trying to think back to my lesson on castle positions and I can't seem to find what a steward is."

Azura sighed in exasperation before she walked over and forcefully pulled Corrin out of his chair and dragged him towards the door.

" _That's_ what we're going to find right now," she said, grunting as she pulled Corrin.

Corrin stumbled, caught off-guard by her sudden aggressive. "H-hey! What gives?" he protested. "Did I say something wrong?"

Azura rolled her eyes. "No, but you didn't say something right either."

* * *

"Where are we going?"

" _You're_ going to talk to the Vallites and see if any of them are fit to become your new steward," she replied.

"What's a steward?"

"You'll see."

"But…why do I need a steward again?"

" _Because_ , Corrin, unless you plan to spend the rest of your life as King-Regent of Valla doing paperwork and not sleeping, you're going to need somebody to help you manage the trivial stuff."

"Yeah, I get that part, but why do _I_ of all people need a steward? I get they help with the small stuff, but why can't you do it? I mean, isn't the entire job of a Queen-Consort to deal with the small stuff?"

Azura socked Corrin in the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"As much as I love you, Corrin, I am _not_ going to spend the rest of my time as Queen-Consort doing what you were basically doing these last two weeks: doing paperwork all day with no time to yourself, unable to do breaks, and getting less than four hours of sleep every day!"

Corrin gingerly rubbed the burgeoning bruise near his right elbow. "I guess that makes sense," he said. "But why does my steward need to be of Vallite blood?"

Azura pushed a strand of hair out of her face using her breath. "Because, save for Kaze, all of your attendants and retainers are Nohrian. Sure, you may _seem_ closer with your Hoshidan siblings—"

"But I'm not though! Not saying I don't love them—I do—but I feel like I can connect _just a tad_ easier with Xander, Leo, Camilla, and Elise compared to Ryoma, Takumi, Sakura, and Hinoka."

"That's why I said ' _seem,'_ Corrin," Azura said. "If New Valla is going to be the place where old differences and grudges are set aside, you're going to need some racial diversity in your stands."

"But I'm perfectly happy with my current servants and retainers though! Silas, Flora, Felicia, and Jakob have been nothing but perfect recently! I can't just get rid of them!"

"Yes, I know, Corrin," Azura said exasperatingly. "I'm not telling you to let them go. I'm just telling you that if you want to keep up the appearance of being impartial between Hoshido and Nohr, you're going to need a bit of racial diversity among your staff."

"But I'm more used to having Nohrian staff!" Corrin whined.

"Stop whining," Azura scolded. "Trust me, Nohrians put too much effort into being perfect first try, but only for one specific task or role. Look at the twins! Felicia's a prodigy when it comes to being a maid, but Flora can easily wipe the floor with her when it comes to fighting!"

"You're getting the two of them mixed up, Azura. _Flora_ is the prodigy at…maid-ness, but Felicia's the one you want on the battlefield. Wh—how d-did you even mix them up? Flora has blue hair and Felicia has pink, for gods' sake! Mixing them up is like mistaking Ryoma for Takumi!"

"It happens to the best of us!" Azura retorted, looking away and obscuring her face with her hair to hide the flush that arose with her mistake. "All I'm saying, Nohrian servants tend to focus too much on one role. Hoshidan ones prefer to their best in all areas, but if my memory serves me correctly, Vallite servants are the perfect combination of both. Perfect in every area."

"You sound like you're being a little bit biased, Azura."

"I am not!"

"…Yes, you are."

Azura pouted and crossed her arms. "Well, if you think I'm being biased, then why are all of your servants Nohrians?"

Corrin chuckled and rose his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, Azura," he said placatingly. "You win. I don't think I've ever seen you this worked up before. It's kind of cute, actually."

"Stop complimenting me."

"You are though!"

Azura _hmphed_ and turned away, but only so Corrin couldn't see the broad smile on her face. He knew, however, based on the gentle shoulder bump he gave her as they walked outside the main hall to where a sea of tents housed the entirety of the Vallite population.

Azura's tightened at the sight of seeing how few of her people survived. Roughly five hundred or so tents were sprawled before her. The entire city of tents fit snugly within the castle courtyard, and with plenty of room to spare too. All the empty space, however, reminded Azura of how few people survived The Decimation.

Sensing her heightened anxiety, Corrin laid a hand on her shoulder. "Hey," he murmured. "It's alright. We tried to save as many as we could."

"I know," she replied, laying her own hand on top of his and turning to look at him. "It's just…so _jarring_ to see my entire people contained _one_ castle courtyard, you know?"

Corrin squeezed her shoulder. "I know," he said quietly. "I feel the same way too, but what's important right now is the fact that we saved all of them. They're all safe now, which means we can rest easy now. At long last…"

Azura chuckled humorlessly. "Who said anything our rest is going to be easy?" she said snarkily. "We still have to serve as the King and Queen of Valla, don't we?"

"Maybe," Corrin said, looking out towards the tents.

The "sun" in the astral planes had set roughly an hour or so ago, which meant people were getting ready for bed, the night sentinels already manning the battlements and patrols already patrolling. It was quite a sight, to see the violet night sky contrasting the orange light from the torch flames, the almost-blue castle walls in the dark contrasting the tan of the tents.

It was…soothing in a way. Maybe in another life, another world, this would've been a more familiar view for Corrin, but since only his elite personal guard and a few others were allowed access to the astral plane, they had mostly used the quarters already built within the castle. That was why Azura had her own room instead of sleeping in a tent like they would have had if the castle was fully manned.

Which it was now. Basically.

"Either way, I don't plan for my term as the King of Valla to be a tumultuous one," Corrin continued. "So maybe we _should_ get a steward…"

Azura laughed breezily. "Oh, so _now_ you want a steward?" she asked lightly.

Corrin said nothing but cocked an eyebrow smarmily as he looked down at her. "I always wanted one," he replied. "I just…didn't know if I needed one."

Azura laughed again and gently pushed Corrin away. "Oh, come on, you. Let's go meet our first applicant."

The smile faded from Corrin's face as he followed her down the dais steps leading into the tent city. "Wait, how did you find this 'applicant?' What's his name?"

"Why do you have to assume that your new steward—or rather your future steward—is male?"

"Or her," Corrin added hastily. "Yeah, a woman could be my steward. Do you know her name?"

"Why?" Azura asked cheekily. "Are you saying something about me?"

The tips of Corrin's ear turned a scarlet red as he realized the hidden meaning behind Azura's words.

"Ah, no, that's not what I meant, er, but—"

Azura laughed again, the third time in as many minutes. "I'm just poking fun at you Corrin. Your future steward is male, and as for his name…well, let's just say you can figure it out _real_ quick. If not, I'm afraid you'll need a sharp blow to the head to fix your eyesight."

Corrin laughed nervously. "Haha, yes, well, where is he now?"

"Right here," Azura said as she stopped in front of a tent.

The tent looked the same as all the other tents, so Corrin wasn't sure how Azura knew the tent she was looking for was _this_ particular tent.

"You sure?" he asked as he prepared to knock on the wooden pole in front of the tent. "I don't want to wake some poor soul up."

"Trust me, this is the one," Azura said, stepping back.

Corrin frowned at the sudden distance between himself and Azura. "Er, Azura?"

"Yes?"

"Is there any reason why you're standing so far—"

"Ah! Visitors!"

Corrin lurched backwards as the tent flap burst open, revealing nobody other than…

"Otis?"

The old man bowed low to the floor, his ponytail falling past his head. "Ah, please forgive me for startling you like that, milord. It's just that I've been dying to meet you ever since Queen Azura told me about you!"

Azura's gentle smiled shrank by a few centimeters at the title of _Queen Azura_. "Please, Otis. Just call me Azura. I'm fine being addressed so casually."

"Yes, but you're also the Vallite people's princess!" Otis said, spreading his hand apart. "Not saying _you_ aren't important," he said to Corrin, "you are, but you're not as…well, how do I put this? Ah, people just don't _know_ you as well as Que—er, is _Lady_ Azura fine?

Azura nodded.

Otis smiled and clapped his hands together. "Ah yes, what was I saying? Oh, yes, while our people adore you and respect you just as much as our long-lost princess here, we…don't know you as well as Lady Azura, which is quite surprising, considering how…reserved she can be sometimes."

Corrin glanced at Azura, who gave him a _told you so_ glance in return.

"You met with them before?" he mouthed.

Azura smiled and nodded. "Of course," she said. "They're my people, aren't they? I have to _know_ my people to succeed as queen, right?"

Corrin chuckled ruefully and shook his head. "And here I was, thinking you would be the shy one between the two of us," he said.

"Well, in all fairness, Corrin, _somebody_ had to get the Vallites settled in, and it _definitely_ wasn't going to be you with the amount of work you had to do," she said. "Speaking of which, Otis—"

The old man snapped to attention, complete with the Vallite salute. "Yes, milady?"

"You…received our 'invitation,' haven't you?"

Otis nodded and pulled out a letter with a red wax seal broken on it. "Of course!" he replied. "What kind of steward would I be if I didn't read milady's own official decree?"

"Hold on," Corrin said. "This whole operation is your idea, isn't it, Azura?"

Azura said nothing but merely smiled and looked away. Otis looked between the two of them, first with confusion, then with something that sounded like nostalgia.

"Ah, young love," he said. "How I've missed you…"

Snapping to attention once more, Otis straightened out and stuck a hand out. "Well, Lady Azura quote-on-quote 'interviewed' me earlier today, and she deemed me worthy of the position of steward to the future King-Consort of Valla. I must say, milord, I've heard plenty of rumors of you, both good and…good but not-as-good, but I do look forward to working closely with you in the future."

Corrin crossed his arms. "Well, without sounding _too_ presumptuous, isn't that for me to judge?"

Otis blinked in surprise before retracting his hand. "Ah, yes," he said, tapping his chin. "I suppose that is true."

Corrin smiled and gently laid a hand on Otis' shoulder. "Don't worry. You don't need to be worried about anything. If Azura feels you're a good candidate for being my future steward, who am I to judge her choice? I just want to know you better, since, you know, I haven't really talked with any of the Vallites before."

Otis sagged in relief. "Oh! I see, I see. Well, in that case…"

Otis swept open the flap to his tent and bowed as if he was holding open the door to some fancy restaurant instead of a cloth tent. "In that case, perhaps we should take this conversation inside? Not trying to brag or anything, but this old man has seen…quite a few things. I would like nothing more than to share them with you."

Corrin smiled. "It would be a pleasure."

* * *

Inside the tent, Otis hastily poured some kind of tea for Corrin and Azura, who were "asked" to sit on a pair of chairs Otis pulled out from under his bed.

Corrin curiously smelled the cup of steaming liquid in his hands and widened his eyes in pleasure and surprise. He quickly took a sip, relishing how the liquid tasted.

"Wow!" he said. "I don't think I've ever drank any kind of tea this good before!"

Otis chuckled. "Ah, yes, well, that's the jasmine for you. I never really liked how scalding Nohrian beverages can be sometimes, so I've always been more of a supporter of tea over coffee," he said.

"Is this your favorite kind of tea?" Corrin asked.

Otis nodded thoughtfully. "As a matter of fact, it is! I don't know why, exactly, but something about the smell and taste makes me feel…free, inside. Well, more free than usual. I hope you understand why."

Corrin rose an eyebrow. "Does it have something to do with your imprisonment?" he asked.

Otis' smile shrank by a few molars. "Well, as a matter of fact…yes. It does."

Azura slapped Corrin on the arm. "Corrin!"

Corrin ruefully rubbed the reddening mark. "Sorry," he apologized. "I wasn't trying to stir up any bad memories or anything."

Otis shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. "Ah, think nothing of it, milord. As much as I hated it at the time, I think my time being imprisoned under Anankos gave me a little…perspective on things."

Corrin gently set his teacup down and leaned forward, his hands on his knees. "Oh?"

Otis pulled up another chair and sat down. "Well, you see," he said, "Long ago, before Anankos attacked, I was a bit…reckless. You know, running around, doing whatever I wanted. I was at the peak of my prime! But when Anankos came, and started rounding us up, I was basically made into the spokesman for my group of survivors simply because in my youth, I served as King Theophilus' retainer."

"King Theophilus?" Corrin asked. "Isn't that your father, Azura?"

Azura nodded. "That was part of the reason why I wanted you to take on Otis as a steward. Not only was he somebody my father trusted in his life, but considering the role and responsibilities he had to take upon being 'promoted' to the position of being the spokesman for the Vallite slaves, I thought he would be a wise choice for a steward."

Corrin rubbed his chin. "Hmm. Well, how about we get started with the rudimentary things, Otis?"

Otis nodded earnestly. "Of course, milord! Anything you want to know about me, it's all on the table."

"Alright then," Corrin said. "First off then, what makes you think you'll be good fit for this role…"

* * *

"I hope my answers were able to dissuade your doubts, milord!" Otis called after them as Corrin and Azura departed his tent.

"Don't worry, they did!" Corrin replied. "Like I said, if Azura thought you were a good choice, chances are that she's probably right. I simply wanted to get to know you better. After all, you'll be acting as liaison between us and the rest of the Vallites, are you not?"

Otis nodded. "Of course, milord! If you want, I can procure a resume of sorts for you to go over so you can get a better grasp of my abilities."

Corrin shook his head. "Nah, it's good," he said. "No offense, Otis, I already have enough paper as it is. I'll take your word for it regarding your capabilities."

Otis nodded again. "Very well then, milord! Have a good night!"

"And good night to you too," Corrin replied as he and Azura climbed the dais steps leading into the main hall of the castle.

"That wasn't too bad, now was it?" Corrin asked.

Azura hummed absentmindedly and nodded. "In all honesty, I thought you would've been a bit more…hesitant about my choice."

Corrin gently bumped her with his shoulder. "I already said it like, three times in there, Azura. If _you_ think somebody's a good choice for being my future steward, chances are you're probably right."

"That's a high opinion you have of me," Azura noted dryly.

Corrin bumped her again. "Of course!" he said. "I mean, it's not like that's how you got me signed up in this whole thing in the first place."

"What do you mean?" she said, frowning.

Corrin rose an eyebrow. "Don't you remember? You told me all about Valla and your history, and I believed it. Turns out It was a good thing I did, huh?"

Azura pursed her lips. "Ah, yes, well, I suppose that is true."

They continued walking together in silence, Azura's long, slender fingers curled around Corrin's calloused, warm ones.

Finally, Azura broke the silence by asking, "So what do you feel about Otis?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you like him as a person? His personality?"

Corrin scratched the back of his head. "He sure does seem…excitable at first, but in a weird way, I'm fine with that. No offense to you or the rest of my siblings, Azura, but all of you can be so serious and moody all the time. It's always work, work, and work with you guys. Having somebody as colorful as Otis is…a good way to brighten up my day."

"What about his abilities then?" Azura asked. "Do you honestly think he'll be able to measure up to your standards?"

Corrin snorted. "Oh yeah, please, no, from what he told me about himself, if anything, he's _overqualified_ for the position. There's just so many things he can do, I'm surprised he's content to remain a servant. A glorified servant, yes, but still a servant."

Azura entwined her arm around Corrin's, drawing him close to her. "Yes, well, some people are just _that_ dedicated to others," she said. Then, purposely fluttering her eyelashes, she asked, "Corrin, would you like to spend the rest of the night with me?"

"Can't," Corrin replied, oblivious to her advances. "I still need to finish all the paperwork you dragged me away from today, but if you want to stay, you can."

Azura frowned, clearly upset at being rebuffed. Corrin noticed her pout and stopped.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said. "Nothing's wrong."

Corrin sighed and gently took her chin in his hands, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Azura," he murmured. "I know that you the fact that we don't spend as much time together as we did during the war, but trust me, at the end of the week, if I can finish all my work by then, I'll treat you to the most renowned restaurant in Cyrkensia, alright?"

"I don't need you to take me to some fancy dinner just to make me happy," Azura said. "I'm just afraid that you push yourself too hard."

Corrin frowned and let his hand fall away from Azura's face. "What do you mean?"

"Every single time I visit you, you're doing work!" she said. "I appreciate you trying to help my people, I really do, but I also appreciate spending time with you that doesn't involve one-word answers from you!"

"Azura…"

"You know how hard it is to see you work yourself to the bone?" Azura continued. "Every single time you sleep, it's only because I drag you away! You can't keep doing this, Corrin, because _I_ can't keep doing this!"

Corrin sighed and quietly wrapped Azura in a tight hug. He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I hate not being able to spend time with you too, but I need to make sure all the paperwork is in order so that when Lilith transports the castle back into our world, there won't be any problems with the nearby Hoshidan or Nohrian nobles. I only need to keep this up for one or two more days, max, and then I'll be done, okay?"

Azura buried her face in Corrin's chest and tightened her grip on him. "I know," she mumbled. "I know you want to make sure everything's in order so that the therapist that's supposed to help Gunter won't have a problem trying to find a castle, but can't you at least take a break every so often?"

"I do," Corrin replied. "Sometimes, I lean back in my chair and stretch for a few seconds for going back to my work, other times I just take a drink or use the lavatory—"

"That's not the kind of break I was talking about!" Azura said, gently pounding on Corrin's chest. "I'm talking about the kind of break where you get out of that damned study of yours, walk outside, and talk with a few people! Taking a sip of tea after working for three hours straight isn't a break! That's just—"

Corrin silenced her again by pressing another kiss to her head. "I'll try, then," he said. "I promise. Like I said: one or two more days of this level of focus, and we can spend as much time together as you want one the last day of the week."

"And then you'll just go back to doing the same cycle over again, huh?" Azura asked cynically.

Corrin shook his head. "What? No! By the end of this week, we'll be back in our world! Plus, once that happens, then Otis is going to be officially sworn in as the official steward of Valla, which means we'll be able to spend more time together. I promise!"

Azura turned her head so her left ear was pressed over Corrin's heart. "If you say so," she said, tightening her grip on Corrin even more.

* * *

A/N: When this interlude was supposed to be 2k words, but you end up doubling it haha crying...


	39. Chapter 37

A/N: One more day of spring break until final exams starts! *cries*

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of the characters.

* * *

Finally, as Corrin promised, after a week of paperwork, ensuring that all the legislation that can be done is finished, the time comes for Lilith to transport the castle from the astral plane to the rest of the world. Lilith asks them, in her own gentle way, to gather in front of her shrine besides the raised dais leading to the the castle's main hall.

Though Corrin had made sure to keep his emotions in check as Lilith softly relayed her instructions to them, he couldn't help but twitch his ears as the words _Lilith is your sister_ ran through his head.

Lilith didn't seem to notice Corrin's sudden aloofness towards her, but Azura did. As they stood in front of the little building, listening to the sounds of the nearby spring running along, she quietly approached him.

"Corrin?" she called.

Corrin turned from where he was gazing intently at the stone statue carved in Lilith's likeness. "Yes?" he replied questioningly.

Azura glanced behind herself to make sure no one else was around them. Save for their siblings, sans Ryoma and Xander, who decided to travel back to their world with Lilith's help in order to facilitate a few things, the courtyard was mostly empty. There were still a great deal of things needed to be done, and according to Lilith, transporting them back to their world shouldn't take very long, so Corrin neglected to organize a huge, lavish ceremony.

Besides the royals and a couple of their retainers, Otis stood silently on the opposite side of the doorway leading in the shrine, gazing thoughtfully at the statue of Lilith. Azura couldn't tell what he was thinking—a common trait among Vallites, she guessed—but judging by the reflective look in his eyes as he ran a critical eye over the stone, she knew he was more focused on the art than on the two of them.

Azura stepped closer to Corrin so that their words could pass undisturbed between them. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

Corrin shrugged. "I mean, I don't have to stay up every night now, which is what you wanted, right? So I guess that's pretty good. Plus, we finally get to see the fruits of our efforts, right?"

"I'm not talking about what you feel about finishing all your work," Azura said. "I'm talking about how you feel about _her._ " She gestured towards the statue of Lilith.

"You've been awfully distant from her, Corrin," she said. "Even _I_ can see that, so I'm worried about how you're going to deal with her."

Corrin blinked. "'Deal with her?'" he asked. "You're making me sound like I'm going to imprison her or something!"

Azura stepped back and crossed her arms. "Well, what _are_ you going to do about her, then?" she asked.

Corrin shook his head, idly running a finger through his hair. "Azura, the only reason why I'm staying away from Lilith is because I'm not sure how _she's_ going to respond once she figures out what I know about her. I still trust her, and even though I know how she was one of Anankos' servants, I would still protect her as if she was my sister…which I guess she is, but you know what I mean! I'm just worried about how _she's_ going to react when she—"

"Lord Corrin?"

Corrin and Azura both flinched visibly and stepped back from each other, Azura fiddling nervously with her hair and Corrin bashfully rubbing his arm. Lilith towards them, her large golden eyes darting everywhere, as if she was nervous.

"Lord Corrin?" she repeated. "Everything is ready."

Corrin nodded. He glanced at Azura, his eyes saying _We'll talk this out later_ , before turning his attention back on Lilith.

"Good," he said. "You can start whenever you want."

Lilith bowed her head. Corrin and Azura both widened their eyes in surprise and stepped back as the crystal ball, the one that Lilith always held in her paws, floated away from her, revealing Lilith's scaly red belly. Lilith smiled as she caught the look of surprise on Corrin and Azura's faces.

"You…you aren't attached to it?" Corrin asked.

"Of course not," Lilith said. "How else could I sleep if I'm always holding that orb?"

Corrin gawked at her for a few more seconds but shaking his head and clearing his throat. "Well, let's get on with it then," he said.

Lilith nodded and closed her eyes. Pressing her nose to the now-floating crystal ball, she says, loud and clear, "My kin, my blood, my gods…my friends…You have been most gracious to allow us to stay in the astral realm, but now I came before you to ask for one final favor. I ask that you return to us what was taken so long ago. Great Moro, I beseech you to right the wrongs taken in the First War, oh so long ago. Deliver this castle back to where it belongs, and us safely alongside it. Oh Great Moro…"

As Lilith continued speaking, rain started to fall. Corrin looked up to feel the plops of water falling on his face, and Azura's eyes widened in surprise and pleasure at the feel of the raindrops upon her skin.

Everyone else in the courtyard stopped what they were doing and looked up in surprise, some standing stock still with their jaws agape, others shrieking and running for shelter.

"It's working…" he said quietly to himself.

Corrin looked at Azura as she pulled at his sleeve. "What?" he asked.

She said nothing but instead pointed to the patch of air above Lilith and the crystal. Corrin squinted his eyes, flopping his now-white hair away from his eyes as he saw… _something_.

Thirty feet above them, he saw a disturbance among the falling rain, as if an ivisible object occupied the same space. The disturbance spread, extending all the way to the floor, and the void outlined by the water assumed the shape of a creature with the body of a horse with a antlers of a deer. Thin, needle-sharp rays of watery light radiated outward from the shape, and there appeared the image of a gigantic, twisting dragon.

As he noticed those details, Corrin also became aware of the feeling of his skin prickling against his will, and a cold shiver ran down him. He did not now know what he felt, but feat gripped him for a split-second, and he looked at Azura for comfort. She was staring at the shape, her golden eyes sparkling with an unusual intensity.

In a single, fluid motion, Lilith gently floated to the ground, her paws padding on the grass. She bowed her head close to the ground, her eyes closed reverentially.

Without thinking, he did the same as Lilith, dropping to his knees and bowing his head.

Moro spoke then, and his voice sounded like the grinding of boulders and the sweep of the wind over barren mountain peaks and the slap of waves against a stony shore. He spoke in the dragon tongue, and such was the power of his words that despite knowing Corrin knowing that Moro was speaking in his counterpart's ancient tongue, he couldn't comprehend the god's rumbling words, and he shrank from the power of the god's speech.

Three times the god questioned Lilith, and thee times Lilith replied, her voice faint and meek in comparison. Apparently pleased with Lilith's answers, the dragon coiled itself up and looked up at the sky, drawing everyone's gaze.

The air between the god's antlers rippled with an unimaginable amount of power. Everyone looked up in shock as the sky rippled, as if it was the underside of an unimaginably large pond or lake.

Then spiderweb cracks across the sky, and with the sound of shattering glass, waves pounding an unforgiving cliffside, and mountains clashing, it shattered.

Corrin squeezed his eyes shut as a blinding flash explodes across the sky. In his blindness, he instinctively raises an arm to protect his face, expecting the shards to fall from the sky. His other arm groped blindly for Azura, to make sure she's safe. His fingertips manage to touch the frill of her gloves, and he latches onto it, pulling her close to him and twisting so that he was covering her body with his own.

Flecks of the sky rained down around them, the shards falling in conjunction with the raindrops. The shards shattered into nothingness as they fell on his skin and armor, with a sound akin to pottery.

As soon as the sounds of the shards stopped falling, Corrin tentatively cracked his eyes open. Azura was already looking around from beneath Corrin, clutching tightly to his arm around her chest.

The air doesn't feel stale and stuffy anymore. The sunlight in the astral plane had been replaced by dark, gray storm clouds rolling overhead. The rain fell even greater here than in the astral plane, the water coming down on them in thick sheets.

Thunder booms in the distance, and lightning flashes, and Corrin instantly knew Moro had followed through. While Lilith could make it rain in the astral plane, it never poured as hard as it did in the real world, and there was never thunder or lightning.

The rest of their siblings and retainers had all vanished, with only the ends of Elise's blonde curls ducking into the castle's main hall being the only sign they had ever existed in the first place. Otis, however, remained outside with them, his pale face slowly turning into a shade of red Corrin had never seen before on the older man, but he ignored the sight as he felt Azura trying to pull away from him.

"Sorry," he apologized, loosening his hold on her.

Azura smoothened out the front of her dress and adjusted her pendant so that it was sitting neatly in the middle of her chest again, between her breasts. "It's fine," she breathed. "Just next time, when you hold a woman, make you _don't_ grab her across her breasts."

Corrin felt his face burn. "Sorry," he said again.

He looked around himself. The light had vanished, and with it, Moro's…form? Avatar? Corrin wasn't sure what to call it, but he blinks in shock at the sight of a young, blue-haired woman kneeling in the wet dirt, oblivious to the brown staining the white of her skirt.

"Moro?" Lilith whispers before a shout cuts her off.

"LORD CORRIN! LADY AZURA! GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Corrin and Azura both flinch at the sudden shout from the normally-jovial man as Lilith scrambled backwards, face full of fear and surprise as Otis interposes himself between, arms spread to keep them separated.

"Otis?" Corrin said questioningly. "What's—"

"I thought I told you two to _run!_ " Otis said, his voice deadly serious. He pointed back at Lilith who was still kneeling on the ground, watching them with shock. "She's dangerous!"

"From who?" Azura asked. "Who's dangerous? Lilith?"

At the sound of her name, Otis blanched. "So it _is_ her!" he whispered in horror.

Corrin gently took Otis' out-stretched arms and forced them down to his sides. "What's going on here, Otis? Do you know her?"

Otis nodded, his eyes wide and fearful. Lilith slowly got to her feet and Otis jerked backwards as if he had been burned, knocking Corrin off balance. He grunted as his rear end fell onto the ground. Azura was by his side in an instant, her hands holding his arm as Corrin back up to his feet.

"Otis, I—"

"She was one of _his_ servants!" Otis hissed. "How does she still live and breathe?"

"Otis, calm—"

Otis whirled around and grabbed Corrin by the lapels, shaking him. Spittle flew on Corrin's face as Otis said, "You said you killed Anankos, didn't you, boy? You killed him, right? So why is his hand—his assassin and general—still alive?"

Corrin grit his teeth in pain as Otis' shaking inadvertently brought their foreheads together in a _clonk_. Otis released Corrin and stumbled backwards, his hand pressed to his forehead.

Corrin's eyes widened as he saw a blur of blue behind Otis. Catching his gaze, Otis turned only for the heel of Lilith's wedges slam into his forehead, knocking him out cold. The older man fell to the ground with a surprisingly childish moan.

"Otis!" Corrin exclaimed, kneeling down by the old retainer. He checked his pulse and was relieved to find that he had simply been knocked unconscious. Already, there was a red mark swelling up on his forehead where Lilith had kicked him.

"What was that for?" he asked Lilith, who had covered her mouth with her hands, eyes even wider and more fearful than before.

"I-I—"

"We should get him to the infirmary," Azura interrupted, her stone-mask persona already in place to hide her shock as she hoisted Otis up so that he was leaning on her.

"You two should talk," she said, gesturing to the inside of Lilith's shrine. "I'll take care of Otis."

"Are you sure, Azura?" Corrin asked. "I mean, he's—"

"I've already carried one unconscious male before in the past," Azura reminded him. "It was just last week, don't you remember?"

Corrin swallowed his objections and nodded. He beckoned to Lilith with a single finger before ducking into the cool interior of the shrine.

He took a moment to breathe deeply, remind himself of the woman—no, _sister—_ he was going to talk to. He allowed his gaze to drift around the shrine, from the mossy walls to the little alter as he waited for Lilith to enter after him. He didn't have to wait long before the signature _clacks_ of Lilith's wedges echoed around the shrine.

He turned around to see Lilith staring despondently at the ground, her braid being twisted again and again in her hands. She glanced up at Corrin, but the instant she met his eye, her gaze snapped back down to the floor, and she intensified her fidgeting with her braid.

All in all, she looked as if she was expecting to be hauled off to the execution block.

"Why did you kick him?" Corrin asked.

Lilith said nothing but continued to stare at the ground. Corrin sighed and walked towards her. Lilith flinched and jerked back, finally meeting his gaze as she held out a hand, as if to stop him.

"Stay away from me!" she said. "You…you don't know what I'm capable of!"

"I do know," Corrin said softly as he continued to approach her. "Azura told me everything about you. How you were one of Anankos' servants, how…how you're my sister."

Lilith's eyes widen even further as she continued to back up. She gasps and glances behind herself as she felt her back press up against the mossy stone wall. Her eyes flicker back to Corrin slowly approaching her, that look—that _damned_ look in his eyes.

"Stay back!" she squeaked. "If you do know what I'm capable of, then why do you keep trying to help me?"

"Lilith—"

"Everything Otis said about me was true!" she said, her wedges scraping against the stone floor as she continued pressing herself into the wall, as if it would swallow her if she tried hard enough.

"Lilith, you need to calm down," Corrin said soothingly, though he stopped advancing towards her. "You're hyperventilating."

Lilith pressed a palm to her chest as she realized that what Corrin said was true. Already, she could feel the edges of her vision start to darken, and she couldn't feel the tips of her hands and toes. She took a moment to take several deep breaths, to slow her heartbeat before she realized how close to her Corrin was, and she jerked away again.

"Stay away from me!" she repeated, ducking away from Corrin's outstretched hand. "I'm—"

Corrin narrowed his eyes before straightening up and saying, clearly and sternly, "Lilith, as your future king and brother, I _order_ you to let me give you a hug."

Lilith paused. "A-a hug?" she asked, not realizing the trap until it was too late.

Corrin stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. Lilith took a half-step backward, unsure of how to react. Her arms remained still by her sides.

Corrin slowly pulled away, though he kept his hands on her shoulders. When she tried to flex away, he tightened his grip on her, forcing her to face her.

"Lilith, I—"

Lilith flinched and averted her gaze from him.

Corrin sighed. "Lilith, I'm not mad at you—well, I'm a little bit mad and confused as to why you kicked my steward in the face, but that's besides the point. I'm not angry at you, and I don't hate you for what you did before in the past."

"You should," she muttered, balling her skirt in her fists.

Corrin frowned. "Maybe I should, but I disagree. You're my _sister_ , Lilith, and nothing, not even Moro can stop me from forgiving you."

 _That_ got Lilith's attention. Slowly, she lifted her head to look at Corrin in the eyes. "You…you forgive me?" she asked slowly, quietly.

"Of course I do," Corrin said gently, using a thumb to wipe a tear away from her eyes. "Like I said, you're my _sister_. I…I just want to know why you kicked Otis."

Lilith's gaze dropped again as she began fiddling with her braid. "I…I saw how he accidentally headbutted you, and…and I guess my training took over."

Corrin blinked, as if he hadn't been expecting that—he had, but he felt it was better if he filled in the role of the understanding older sibling here. "Is that it?" he asked. "You didn't do it out of spite, or because you wanted to, you just did it because you thought I was in danger and you reacted the only way you knew how to?"

Lilith nodded.

Corrin sighed and released her. "Alright then," he said. "I believe you."

Lilith looked up at him in surprise. "Y-you do? Why?"

Corrin smiled gently at her. "Because you're my sister, that's why."

"But…I did all those things," she muttered, going back into _self-deprecating_ mode. "I don't deserve your kindness."

"Don't say that," Corrin scolded, hugging her again. This time, the tips of Lilith's fingers twitched, as if they wanted to return the action but the rest of her body said _no._

"You shouldn't ever think of yourself that way," he stresses. "Yes, you may have done terrible things in the past, but so have I. Yes, you should feel some guilt over them, but you shouldn't let them dictate your life. Our past shapes us, but they don't define us, and blood isn't the only thing that can tie people together."

"Corrin—"

Corrin squeezed her. "Sh…" he shushed. "I'm not done yet. I always thought of you as a sister long before I found out you were actually just that: my sister. Nothing can change that, and I'll do whatever I can to help you on your path for atonement. I'll support you the same way you support me."

Lilith's whole arm twitched this time, and slowly, she let them rise up and wrap themselves around Corrin's back, the skin-tight armor still wet from the rain outside.

"Thank you," she said as she pulled away. "Azura…Azura also said similar things to me, when she discovered our relationship, but hearing it from you is…is…"

"Different?" Corrin offered. "More heartwarming?"

Lilith nodded, wiping her tears away on the back of her hand. For the first time in nearly a decade, she smiled. Not a fake, courteous smile people wore when they saw their best friend getting married, but a genuine, unfettered smile that caused this dollop of light to blossom her chest.

"Exactly," she said, before the smile faded away.

Corrin's brow furrowed at her sudden change in expression. "Hey," he said, taking her chin in his hand. "What's wrong?"

Lilith wrested her chin away from him. "You shouldn't do that," she muttered.

"Why not?" he asked. "I do it to Azura all the time, and she's fine with it."

"That's…that's because she's your _lover_ ," Lilith said, turning red. "People usually only do that…for people they love."

"But I do love you!" Corrin said, eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"Not _that_ kind of love," Lilith said, looking him in the eyes. "There's two types of love, you know. The type you share with Azura, and…the type you sure with your siblings and family."

Corrin's eyes widened as he realized what Lilith was saying. He also turned red and stumbled away, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"O-oh," he said. "S-sorry. Didn't mean to make it so awkward."

Lilith smiled wearily. "It's fine," she said. "Just one question though."

"Hm?"

"When…when did you find out about us?" she asked.

Corrin sighed and rubbed his chin. "Well, after the battle, when you transported us back to the astral plane, Anankos sort of…spoke to me."

Lilith gasped.

"Anankos?" she asked. "W-which one? He—"

"He split himself into two souls, one kind and benevolent and the other mad and bent on destroying the world," Corrin finished. "Yes, I know. Speaking of which…"

Corrin reached into a pocket normally hidden away by his armor and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. "Anankos…wanted me to kill him," he explained, and Lilith eye's widened, but she remained silent, trusting Corrin to explain himself.

"He wanted me to kill him so he can leave the Gray Planes—"

"Gray Planes?"

"Long story," Corrin said. "Not many know about it, but I'll explain that part later. He…wanted me to help him kill himself so he could peacefully 'pass on,' I guess you could say…and I did as he asked. But before he died, he told me something, and…well, he also told me to say a few things to you. At the time, I wasn't sure why you, of all people, but I guess now it's pretty obvious, huh?"

Lilith covered her mouth with her hand as she silently grieved, but quickly composed herself. "What did he say?" she asked.

Corrin fiddled with a strand of his hair. "Yeah, well, here's the thing…I forgot."

"You _what?"_

"It's alright!" Corrin said hastily. "I managed to write them down before I forgot them, and Anankos…he—our father told me to tell you that he's proud of everything that you've done. Saving me when I fell into The Bottomless Canyon, beseeching the Astral Dragons, giving us a safe place to stay during the war…everything."

Lilith slowly fell to her knees, her hand clutched to her chest as tears flowed free again, unchecked. "Oh, father," she sobbed.

Corrin sat down on the cold stone floor next to her. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close to him as she buried her face in the crook of her neck and cries in sorrow and relief.

* * *

"What now? Another one?" the healer, a stout, matron-faced woman asked crossly as Azura pushed open the door leading into the infirmary.

Azura wasted a moment to stare flatly at the healer before asking, "Can you please help me?"

The older woman quickly set down the book she was reading and strode over to her far more briskly than what one would've thought of a woman of her age and size.

"What's wrong with him?" she said, running a critical eye over the angry bruise on Otis' forehead.

"He…got kicked," Azura said lamely. "Can you see if you can help me?"

The older woman _harrumphed_ and crossed her arms. "I don't know who you are, but we only deal with _serious_ injuries here, young lady," she said sternly. "As ugly as that bruise may be, would you rather have me waste materials on such a paltry mark, or would you rather have me save the supplies so I can actually save the _lives_ of somebody in a more serious situation."

Azura said nothing but rose an eyebrow as she held up her pendant. The matron glared at her.

"Yes, well, that's a very necklace you have there," she drawled, "but unless you think you're some sort of queen, don't think you can just bribe and boss me around just because you have a pretty necklace."

"First off," a third voice interrupted, "it's not a necklace, it's a pendant. You can tell because it belongs to the Queen-Consort of Valla."

Azura visibly brightened as she realized who that voice belonged to. How could she not?

The matron rolled her eyes. "Oh really?" she drawled. "Well, if she's the queen of Valla, then I'm the—"

The matron's eye puckered out, the words dying in her throat as she turned to see Corrin standing face-to-face with her, with Lilith shyly standing behind him. The matron spluttered for a second, trying to excuse herself.

Corrin rose a hand. "No need," he said. "Heal our friend."

"O-of course, mi—"

"Then get out."

Everyone blinked at the sudden hardness in Corrin's tone.

"Corrin?" Azura asked questioningly.

"Nobody is going to speak to you that way," Corrin said flatly as the matron began her work on Otis' forehead.

Unfortunately, the healing took less than fifteen seconds, and upon seeing the crushed look on the matron's face, Corrin decided to take pity on her.

"Actually, do you have a husband?"

The matron blinked in surprise. "N-not anymore," she said. "H-he died long ago. I have a son, though. He's one of the few that managed to survive—"

Corrin nodded. "Good. While I am…firing you, for lack of a better term, I will permit you to live with your son until he leaves for his home country. Once you leave, you are not to step foot back within New Valla's borders, once the country has been properly set up. Am I understood?"

The matron nodded shakily, already leaving to gather her book and belongings.

"That being said," Corrin added, and the matron looked back at him, "I am not forbidding you from practice medicine. I am simply forbidding you from stepping foot in Valla. Do you understand?"

The matron nodded again? "Y-yes, thank you, milord."

"I am not your lord any longer," Corrin said flatly. "Out of this building."

The matron pursed her lips and nodded as she ducked out. Lilith and Azura both stared at Corrin as he looked back at them.

"What?" he said defensively.

"I'm…just surprised," Azura admitted. "I don't think I've ever seen you so…angry before."

"Angry?" Corrin's voice sounds genuinely confused. "I wasn't angry. I was just feeling…displeased towards how she was treating you."

"Yes, well," Azura blinked and took a deep breath as she pressed a palm to her chest. "That was certainly very _gallant_ of you, sir Corrin, but was it really necessary to—"

Corrin interrupted her by pressing her lips against hers. Azura's eyes widened in surprise before closing them. As she was about to deepen the kiss, she realized where they were and pulled back. Corrin did the same at the exact same time, brushing imaginary dirt off the front of his armor.

Why, Corrin kept wearing the armor, Azura was unsure, though she did admit that it looked…natural on him. Especially since it was mostly skintight, leaving many things to the imagination, but that was a different story.

Azura touched her cheek, where it had suddenly gone warm. "Oh, um, okay," she said, a little bit unsteadily it must be said.

Her gaze flickered between Corrin and Lilith, who was still standing in the doorway and making a show of looking pointedly away from the two of them.

"Did…you two make up?" she asked.

Corrin nodded. "Lilith?" he called.

The other blue-haired woman dutifully trotted over, her wedges clacking on the floor as she curtsied before Azura.

"Milady," she greeted.

"Oh, you don't need to be so formal with me," Azura said, smiling. "You're Corrin's sister now, aren't you? You can be as informal with me as you want, so far as it's appropriate, of course."

Lilith nodded. "Of course, La—Azura. Lor—sorry—Corrin said the same, and he ordered me to call you two by you without your titles."

"It wasn't an order, Lilith," Corrin pouted. "It was a request!"

"Yes, well, kings don't make requests," Lilith said dryly, and Azura could catch the undertone that too many men seem to miss.

"Well, Otis is healed now," she interrupted, hastily changing the subject. "What are you going to do with him?"

Corrin—gods bless him—being as dense as they come, didn't seem to suspicious about the sudden change in topic. He walked over to the unconscious Otis' side and sighed.

"I'm going to convince him that Lilith's not a threat anymore," he said simply. "That she's a changed woman-dragon."

Addressing Lilith, he added, "I might not be able to convince all of the other Vallites, so it'll be better if you stick close to me for these next few days. Or weeks. Or months. Gods I hope it doesn't devolve into _years_."

Lilith nodded. "Of course, Lo—Corrin. Of course, Corrin," she said, hastily correcting her blunder.

Corrin smiled at her and nodded supportively as they waited for Otis to resurface.

* * *

It didn't take long. Corrin had just decided to sit down in a chair that Lilith pulled up for when Otis chose that exact moment to jump back in consciousness. He bolted upright, chest heaving and eyes rolling as he looked around fearfully.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Where am I?"

"Calm _down_ , Otis," Corrin said gently as he pushed Otis back onto the bed. "You just…got knocked out, that's all."

Otis frowned. "Knocked out?" he asked. "My boy, why would I be knocked out by? I may have gray hairs, but not a lot of things can catch me off-guard, you know."

"I know," Corrin replied, subtly tightening a leather strap around Otis' wrist. Azura did the same. As for Lilith, she was hidden behind a white curtain, so that only her shadow and silhouette was visible from where Otis was lying.

"But then again…" Corrin mused, nodding towards the shadow. "You can never expect the unexpected, now can you?"

Otis lurched backwards, or at least he tried to, had it not been for the leather straps binding him to the bed. He tried wrenching himself free, before giving up to just stare fearfully at Lilith.

"What is _she_ still doing here?" he asked, not bothering to hide the way his voice shook.

Corrin and Azura looked at each other while Lilith bowed her head, fiddling with her braid. "I told you the Vallites wouldn't change their opinions of me," she said morosely.

"Try talking to him, then," Corrin suggested. Upon catching Otis shaking his head, Corrin laid a hand on his shoulder and said, "Otis, _relax_. She's—"

"You don't know what she's capable of!" Otis hissed, trying to wrench himself free again. "She took all of them! Jax! Marilee! Nerin! Eunice! Helen! Thracia! Zeth! She killed them all!"

Corrin blinked. "Who?"

"My friends!" Otis said, the white of his eyes showing. "She took them all away from us! She's dangerous, you don't know what she's done to us!"

"I do know," Corrin said. "But Otis, I have to ask you a question: do you trust me?"

"Of course milord, but—"

"Then trust me when I say that she's…changed," Corrin said. "She's saved my life numerous times before and helped us win this war."

Otis shook his head. "No, no, that can't be true…that monster took all my people away from me couldn't have done that."

"She can and she has!" Azura interjected. "Ask yourself, would I or Corrin ever lie to you about something that doesn't have to do with legislature things?"

"Of course not, milady, but—"

Corrin squeezed his shoulder. "Just hear her out."

Corrin nodded towards Lilith, who took a deep breath and stepped towards Otis. Otis reflexively jerked his head away from her, but the rest of him stayed relatively still, so Lilith took that to be a good sign.

"Can…can I ask you a question?" she asked meekly, sitting down and clasping her hands together in front of her.

Otis said nothing but nodded his head almost imperceptibly.

Lilith took another deep breath. "Actually, I wanted to apologize first. For everything."

Again, Otis said nothing but continued to watch her warily.

"Can…can I continue?" she asked.

Another nod.

Lilith's hand tightened, her entire body tensing. "I…I want to say that I'm sorry. For everything I did to you. For whipping you, and killing your friends, and taking my anger out on you and your people for no reason…and…and most of all, for having enjoyed it at the time."

Corrin and Azura both nodded supportively when Lilith looked back at her. All of a sudden, she felt like a little girl again, though she knew that was impossible. She was created and brought into this world biologically as an adult, with all the knowledge that would benefit someone of her intended age, but that wasn't to say that she _felt_ that old.

Lilith took another deep breath. "What I did was terrible, and I really wished I hadn't done it. I was abusing my power, taking all of my hurt and anger on you, because it was convenient. It was—and still is—wrong of me to…treat you that way. All of you. And your friends."

Otis closed his eyes, a single tear rolling down his wrinkled cheek. "My friends," he croaked. "What did you do with them? How long did you make them bleed out for before you finished them off?"

Lilith swallowed. "I…I wasn't responsible for their executions," she said quietly. "I…my purpose whenever I visited was to check on who was too weak to continue living, so they could be used as…'training.' Most of the people I picked, however, died quickly and painlessly. Anankos was more concerned about learning how to quickly and efficiently kill enemy soldiers so he could turn them, which usually meant very quick and painless deaths."

"How…many?" Otis insisted.

Lilith swallowed. "Of the six hundred thousand, four hundred eight three people I killed, only five hundred twenty three died in agony."

"Do you remember their names?" Otis asked, eyes still squeezed shut.

Lilith shook her head. "N-no," she admitted bowing her head so her bands obscured her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Otis opened his eyes and looked at her then. "Why?" he asked. "You said you took your anger out on us. Why?"

Lilith bunched up the material of skirt. "Anankos…I may have been your overseer, and I may not have lived as a slave, but that didn't mean I was necessarily free. You know how Anankos was my father, correct?"

Otis nodded.

"He was…not a very good one. A father," Lilith said. "Even as you were afraid of me being your overseer, I was afraid of Anankos being my 'father.' He was…terrible, it didn't matter if he was angry or not. He was cruel with his words, often diminishing me in the same way I diminished you, and he tolerated no failure. Being his daughter did not make me immune to his wrath…as my predecessor learned."

Corrin rose an eyebrow. "Your predecessor?" he asked. "I have another sister?"

Lilith shook her head. "No, she died…almost the instant she was born. My first memory of being alive was Anankos asking us to kill a newborn babe. Anankos presented it to her, and…she refused."

A single tear glistened on her cheek.

"She put the dagger down and refused to kill it," she said, shivering. "I'll…I'll never forget hearing her screams afterward. She was alive for scarcely more than fifteen minutes before my father ended her and turned on me."

"Is that why the guards always checked those with child?" Otis asked, and everyone turned to see that he was no longer shaking in fear, but was watching the three of them curiously, though still with a healthy dollop of caution in his eyes. "So he could test…you?"

Lilith nodded. "I was the only successful one, because I was the only one who knew what happened if you failed to kill the babe. All of my other 'sisters' died within minutes of being created. Apparently, empathy is a common trait among Anankos' children."

She laughed self-deprecatingly, and Corrin shifted, clearly uncomfortable with her words, though he chose to remain silent.

"Anyways," Lilith continued, "may I ask my question now?"

Otis narrowed his eyes. "…you may," he said cautiously.

Lilith glanced towards Corrin before asking, "Do you blame Lo—Corrin for my crimes?"

Otis shook his head fervently. "Of course not. He has done nothing but good for Valla—er, New Valla, that is. He's an able leader, and a kind and charismatic one at that. Even if he didn't take me on as his steward, I would be loyal to him for the rest of my short, old life."

"That's good," Lilith said. "And what of our father's crimes? As the future king of Valla, you know that Corrin will inherit the fallout, right?"

"That doesn't change how I feel about him," Otis said adamantly. "He saved from Anankos, and that's it. End of story, amen."

She smiles softly then. "That's good," she said, bowing. "And again, I honestly am sorry about everything."

"I…I suppose I am too," Otis admitted. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I still can't trust you with the same level Lord Corrin does. Just—"

"—too many bad memories," Lilith finished. "I know. And that's alright."

"But I can see…why you did the things you did," Otis continued. "Even if it meant you putting us through that hell for nigh on a decade…I never knew about how Anankos treated you, though now that I think about it, I wasn't sure what I was expecting."

Lilith pauses, before nodding. Turning towards Corrin, she said, "If it's alright with you, Corrin, I'll be taking my leave now."

"Nope, sorry, can't let you do that, remember?" Corrin said, shaking his head. "Remember what I told you? Otis may have forgiven you—"

"I haven't yet, milord. I just…understand her better now."

"—Otis may understand you better now, but that doesn't mean the rest of the Vallites will. Remember what I told you outside the shrine? You're to stay near me, or at least until we know the Vallites won't run you through with a dagger or slit your throat while you sleep."

Lilith sighed. "Very well then. As you wish."

"Er—Lord Corrin?"

"Hm?"

"If I may, I have another question for Lilith."

Corrin and Lilith look at each other before Corrin said, "Go ahead."

"When you were asking me what if I held Lord Corrin accountable for your crimes, you said 'our' father. And then Lord Corrin said something about having 'another sister' when you were telling me about the first few moments of your life. Are you saying that—"

Otis paused mid-sentence as he looked at Corrin and Lilith with something close to doom in his eyes.

"No..."

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger, but if there's _one_ thing I need to improve on as a writer, it's pacing. I think a lot of people would agree if I said that I throw a lot, and i mean _a lot_ of exposition in just one chapter, and other times, absolutely nothing gets done. The beginning part with Lilith and Corrin comforting her was fine, but the whole part about them trying to get Otis more acclimated to Lilith certainly felt rushed, and I'm sorry but that's just how it's going to be. As I keep working on this arc, I noticed how I'm caught in this perpetual cycle of noticing I'm starting to have a plot too similar to The Apocryphal One's work Fire Emblem Fates: Aftermath, which just so happened to take in a _very_ similar setting as Arc 3, and I don't like that. I want to branch out and create my own work, not taking inspiration from other, more successful writers. Maybe I'm just rambling, but I feel this entire chapter was the culmination of that loop. In Apo's work, she played out Nestor, her version of Otis, much more smoothly. She developed his character over the course of a few chapters, gave him unique quirks, and really fleshed him out. I only did that in 2 chapters, 3 if you count this one. If Apo could do that in a work that's _half_ as long as mine, I should be able to do the same, if not at the same quality. Practice does make perfect, after all.

Also, (I know, long notes, but whatever) I know some people are going to feel off about Lilith actually having numerous other siblings, albeit dead. That brings the question, are you really an only child if your other siblings died before you were born? And what if they died when you were still alive? Are you now considered an only child? Sorry for the morbid topic, but this new topic on Lilith basically being version 2.0.0 moto e5 play can be a bit jarring for some readers.

Again, sorry if I ramble, but I'm nearing the end of break and I want to churn out one more high quality chapter, because after 2-3 more chapters of this arc, then comes the good kush. I feel like these last few chapters, while definitely on the upper register of work quality, isn't the top. I'd give my work a C+ to a B- for now. It's good, but not good enough. It's decent right now, but there are a few things you could change th really bump that grade up. That's just my anxiety working against me here, but I feel seeing yourself the way others see you can be one of the hardest things out there, next to AP Physics, diamonds, and not crying and suffering a mental breakdown when you accidentally step on your dog's tail.


	40. Chapter 38

A/N: WHO'S READY FOR JOKER IN SMASH?

Also, sorry if this work seems a bit _too_ convenient or the dialogue too forced and robotic at times, but apparently, people on aren't a fan of OC's taking the spotlight away from the main cast, so I wanted to get this wrapped and over with. Hope y'all understand.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of its characters

* * *

Corrin, Lilith, and Azura all shared concerned glances as Otis began to hyperventilate again. "Otis, I can explain," Azura said, even softer this time as she laid her hand on Otis' shoulder. To their relief, he did not jerk away as Corrin laid his hands on one shoulder, Azura on the other, and guided him so that he laid flat on the bed.

Throughout the whole ordeal, Otis did not move his wide-eyed, doom-filled gaze from Corrin's own red eyes, and the eye contact made him pointedly uncomfortable. He rolled his shoulders as a chill ran down his back.

"Otis, listen to me," Corrin said again as he sat down on the bed next to Otis. "I know you—"

Instantly, Otis blanched again and started thrashing about. "No! Stay _away_ from me, you _devil!"_ he shouted, his voice almost an octave higher than usual in his panic.

Corrin tried to hide the hurt and surprise on his face, but was evidently unable to when Azura called his name. He looked towards the songstress as she gestured with her head to move away from the older man. Corrin immediately complied, allowing Azura to sit where he was as he stood silently next to the door by Lilith. Otis, however, continued to stare fearfully at the two dragons, the bed creaking and almost threatening to break underneath all his thrashing.

Azura sighed as she clutched her pendant in her hands, the blue jewel a stark contrast to the white walls of the infirmary. Corrin's eyes widened as he realized what she was planning to do. She always clutched at her pendant in some way prior to using it to sing.

"Azura! No!" he protested, walking over to her and grabbing her wrist. "What are you doing?"

Azura glared at him, and Corrin averted his gaze instinctively, knowing the argument that would inevitably ensure later if he stood his ground. He sighed and reluctantly released her before stepping back, hands raised as if he had been burned.

"Sorry," he apologized. "O-old habits."

Azura took a shaky breath. "Corrin, please trust me. I won't sing, but I need you to leave."

Corrin frowned and looked back at Lilith, pointing to himself in the chest. "Me too?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "Please leave." Inwardly, she cringed at how terribly rude that sounded. "S-sorry, it's just that maybe it'll be better for Otis if—"

"It's alright," he interrupted, forestalling her with a raised finger. "You two need space, we get it. Lilith?"

The blue-haired woman bowed and nodded once towards Otis before following her brother out of the room, though Azura could still see their shadows casted on the wall besides the door. As Corrin approached the doorway, he paused and looked back at her.

"Make sure you don't push yourself, alright?" he asked before leaving.

Azura nodded silently before returning her attention to Otis, who had stopped his shaking and was now watching Corrin and Azura. "W-what are you going to do to me, milady?" he asked fearfully. "Please, you have to understand—"

"Don't worry," Azura soothed. "I'm not going to do anything to you. I…just wanted to see if I could change your opinion of Corrin.

She hung her pendant out in front of her, the gold gleamed as it spun around idly in her hands, casting pockets of light on Otis' face. "You're aware of the history of 'Lost in Thoughts All Alone,' correct?

Otis nodded. "O-of course. Besides your pendant and the traditional white dress songstresses of Valla wore, that song was always passed down from singer to singer. Why?"

"Are you aware of what the song can do when sung by a Rheos songstress?" Azura asked, nervously rubbing a thumb over the pendant's cold metal body. The song was meant for calming dragons and freeing those possessed by Anankos. She had never tried using it to calm or ease a human before, but if it could calm a dragon, surely, it would do wonders on a human, right?

Otis shook his head. "No, your mother and father always kept that a secret from all save for those who were next in line to receive the pendant. That was a secret that was jealousy guarded by the Vallite royal family." he said. "Surely, you don't mean to—"

"The song was written by Anankos himself in order to help him control his madness," Azura said flatly, ignoring the blink of surprise coming from Otis. "The song required a great deal of life energy from those who sing it, which was why so many songstresses died singing it. It was meant for containing the wrath of a dragon, and contain it it did."

Otis frowned, eyebrows furrowing. "I don't—"

"Anankos may be dead, but that doesn't mean my song doesn't have a purpose," Azura continued. "Corrin may be half dragon, yes, but he has yet to show any symptoms of the fears you may possess."

"My fears? What do—"

"The fear that Corrin will turn on our people again, the same way his father did," Azura said, lowering her voice. She glanced back at the two shadows on the wall outside the door, before continuing. "I know you might hate living under yet another dragon's rule, but please believe me," Azura pleaded "Corrin _is_ a good man. He'll never be the type of person to take advantage of or abuse his subjects. He's—"

"You say that like you're his lover," Otis joked bitterly. "How can you even love someone whose father killed our people? Forgive my unprofessionalism, milady, but you don't know what we've been through. You have no idea how many times I saw people suffering under Anankos' reign, all while you fell in love with our tormentor's own _son_. I hope you understand where I'm coming from, Lady Azura."

"I do," she said simply. "More than you realize."

Otis sighed tiredly and shook his head. "No, you don't," he said bitterly. "I watched my wife and child butchered in front of me, yet scarcely five minutes later, it was them who was running after me with my name on a sword, not Anankos' soldiers. I watched my best friend's wife's newborn daughter ripped away from her, minutes after she was born, just so _he_ could test another one of _her._ How could you love the son of someone who took pleasure in _that?_ We lived—"

"You lived in constant fear," Azura finished frostily. "Yes, I am aware of that, and while my heart bleeds for you and the rest of my people, it doesn't change the fact that I was abused, both physically and emotionally in Nohr and Hoshido. At least in Valla, people knew who I was besides being royalty. I couldn't even speak of Valla to anyone, because of the curse. I know that sounds like nothing compared to what you've been through, Otis, I know, but at least when you were enslaved, you had each other. You could count on others supporting you, no matter how dire their own situations might be, but oftentimes, you'll find that a crippled shoulder to lean on is always better than to have no shoulder at all."

"Milady—"

"I was alone all those years," Azura continued, ignoring Otis' attempted interruption. "Yes, I escaped the worst of Anankos' torture, but that doesn't mean I escaped unscathed. I lost my mother scarcely two years after our 'escape' to Garon's court, where I was abused almost daily after her passing, both physically and emotionally. Soon after, I was spirited away to Hoshido, where I was treated as a political prisoner and an outcast by all save my adopted siblings, and even then, they were always pulled away by the public. For nearly my entire life, Otis, I was nothing more than a pawn between two powers who cared for little else besides their own interests. _That's_ when I met him. That's when I met Corrin. Did I know he was the son of the killer of my people? No. Did he? Again, no. For nearly two years, Otis, Corrin has been nothing but kind and supportive towards me. You ask why I love him? You ask why I fell for the son of our people's killer? The answer is because he's _not_ his father. In the same way Xander isn't Garon, Corrin isn't Anankos. Corrin is _Corrin_. And he's _mine_ , do you understand?"

Otis stared back at her with wide eyes, clearly taken aback by her sudden intensity. "Y-yes, milady," he stammered, "but surely, you see the dangers of having a _dragon_ ruling over us again, do you not? W-what happens if he goes mad? What if—"

"Corrin will _not_ go mad," Azura said, her voice uncharacteristically rising in volume. _Furthermore,_ you are a _royal retainer_ of _Valla,_ and as such, your loyalties are to lie with the throne. I understand that the only reason why you wish to continue serving Valla in your old age is out of loyalty to the throne and respect to my father, but in this new era, Corrin is going to be the one sitting on that throne, not me."

Otis paled. "You're abdicating?" he asked in a hushed whisper. "B-but I thought—"

"Yes, I know I am the rightful heir to the throne, but after discussing it with Corrin, we've decided that it would be best if we were to marry so that I could abdicate the throne to him, thus making him King-Regent and me Queen-Consort," Azura explained.

Softening her voice, she laid a hand soothingly on Otis' shoulder. "I know you hate Corrin for being a dragon, but hear me out, please. Corrin is a good man. Just…give him a chance, Otis. _Please_. Corrin has never liked being half-dragon, and while I had the exact same thoughts as you when he first transformed, over time, I started to look past the beast that laid under his skin to see who he really was: a kind, loving person who would do anything to help others, even if they felt ill towards him," she said. "I know he'll do the same even as the king of Valla, but the reason why Anankos fell into madness in the first place was because he was betrayed by his people. He had no one to talk to, no allies to call his own, and no friends to listen to for advice. His downfall was inevitable, and even though I once shared your fear of Corrin possibly following the same fate as his father, the only way we can prevent that from happening is if he has _our_ support. Nothing else can change that. Not even my song can hold back the tide forever, as history has proven. Only with our support and love can Corrin treat us the way Anankos should've treated us; with kindness, love, and respect."

Otis mumbled something, and Azura had to lean in closer to hear him through his beard. "Pardon, what was that?" she asked. "I didn't—"

"Give me a few days," Otis mumbled again, louder and clearer this time. "I…I need a few days to figure this out."

Azura blinked before leaning back, her expression unreadable through the mask she always wore. "Of course," she said. "Take as long as you wish. Corrin and I will await your response, whether ill or not."

* * *

Seven steps forward, seven steps back.

Every third iteration, Otis would look up at the tiny patch of sunlight streaming in through the tiny window on the wall of his cell. At first, he thought his cell would be some kind of rat hole with nothing more than a plank of wood with a nail through it to serve as his bed, but in actuality, his "cell" was less of a cell than it was a fully furnished room, complete with a bed, nightstand, and a wardrobe. In fact, the only thing that marked the room out from the rest of the dozens of private quarters built throughout the castle was the absence of windows.

Actually, saying there wasn't one wouldn't be entirely true. There was a window, actually, but it was so small and so far up, that the only use it had was letting in fresh air and telling Otis whether it was night or not, so that he could sleep. It wasn't all bad, he later realized. As an act of goodwill by Lady Azura for his "imprisonment," he had the entirety of New Gyges' archives at his disposal. During the day, however, he spent his days pacing and reading books, scrolls, manuscripts, and whatever else he could get his hands on from the castle archives. He had spent hours poring over these books, looking for any evidence of half-dragons going mad, but so far, he had no such luck. He knew he had told Lady Azura that he only required a few days to make up his mind about that…that dragon-prince, and she had allowed it, but only on the condition that he remain in his quarters the entire duration.

"The secret of Corrin's family must remain the way it is right now: a secret," she had said. "If word gets out that Corrin is the son of Anankos, there will undoubtedly be a mass panic, and with New Valla still in such a vulnerable state, such an event will undoubtedly prove disastrous."

He had agreed with her, and now here he was, stuck in a room pacing back and forth for hours on end. Did he resent Lady Azura for this? No, not really. But was he worried that despite her trust in Lord Corrin, he would still turn on them? Yes, absolutely.

Otis looked up from the book he was reading as he heard one of the guards outside say something. Another voice, female, it seemed, replied. Seemingly pleased by the answer, the door creaked open. Otis froze as he heard the sound of _her_ wedges clacking in, and he looked up to see Lilith standing in the room, her hands clasped nervously in front of her, and a small but gentle smile on her face.

Otis almost reacted, but at the last moment, he forced himself to take a deep breath. _Relax, old man. She's not here to hurt you. Probably. Hopefully._

"Hello there," he greeted, failing to hide the air of apprehension in his voice. "What can I do for you?" Despite his nervousness towards the woman responsible for so many years of pain, he still somehow managed to stop himself from bolting away whenever he glimpsed her shadow or heard the signature clack of wedges echoing down the halls, a _very_ familiar sound all the slaves had learned to fear.

Lilith's hands tightened, evidently sensing his unease. "N-nothing at the moment right now," she said. She gestured to a wooden chair in the corner of the room. "May I sit?"

Otis looked at where she was pointed and shrugged nonchalantly. "Go for it. It's not like I had a use for it these past few days."

Lilith pursed her lips but said nothing as she brought the chair over in front of Otis' bed where he was lying, and sat down, her posture prim and proper compared to his tired and more laid-back way of lying on the bed. For a moment, they simply looked at each other, trying to gauge the other's feelings.

Finally, after an unnecessarily long moment, Lilith asked, "How have you been doing?"

Otis shrugged again. "Pretty well, considering I'm pretty much a prisoner in all but name," he said, returning his attention to his book.

"You know…you know that Lady Azura and Corrin are only isolating you so that you won't spread any rumors, right?"

Otis nodded absentmindedly. "Yes, yes, I know. I heard the whole thing back in the infirmary. And no, before you ask, I'm still undecided on my feelings towards your _brother_."

"That's not what I was here to talk to you about," Lilith said.

Otis looked up at her. "Then why are you here?" he asked.

Lilith swallowed and rubbed her hands dry of sweat on her skirt. "I'm here on my own accord," she said. "I…I know I already apologized to you a few days ago, but I'm here to apologize formally."

Otis waved a hand dismissively at her. "No need," he said bluntly. "You already said your piece, and you've already heard mine. I can't forgive you for your actions, but I can understand your reasoning behind them. Unless there's a way to heal all those scars you and your henchmen gave me, there's nothing for us to talk about regarding our past."

Lilith's brow furrowed. "You…you haven't gone to a healer?" she asked.

Otis scoffed. "Of course I did. Apparently, those _punishments_ you gave us are resistant to healing spells, to prevent any spellcasters that remained among us from being able to heal properly," he said bitterly, remembering how one of their own, a boy by the name of Ferix had died of an infection following one of _her_ punishments. The boy died slowly and painfully over the course of a week, and nothing could have stopped it. A day later, they had a new guard with Ferix's features.

Lilith's mouth dropped in shock before hastily closing it again. "I-I see," she said, her gaze dropping shamefully to the ground. "I'm sorry."

Otis looked at her, unsure of how to continue before finally electing to grunt noncommittally and return his gaze to his book. Though his eyes trailed over the lines of text, he found he couldn't absorb any of the contents, so after reading the same paragraph four times in rapid succession, he sighed and closed the book with a _snap_.

Lilith flinched at the sudden sound as Otis set the book on the table next to his bed. "Tell me," he said, "what are the chances of you and your brother going mad again and turning on us?"

Lilith blinked. "W-well, the first time Lord Corrin ever transformed, it was only after his mother d-died in front of him. When that happened, yes, he did lash out and try to destroy everything around him, but you have the understand, Otis, he had just lost his mother at the time! His grief and rage at the time was the catalyst for his behavior, but ever since Lady Azura gave him his dragonstone, he has never fully transformed without there being some sort of desperate need!"

"Such as?"

Lilith looked down again. "Ever since Corrin discovered his draconic heritage, he has only transformed twice because of his rage," she said quietly. "Once when his mother died, which—"

"Which can be understandable," Otis interrupted. "What about the other time?"

Lilith bunched up her skirt materials in her hands. "The second time was when Lady Azura's life was threatened by Sir Gunter," she said.

Otis rose an eyebrow. "Gunter? Who is—ah, do you mean the old man who jumped out of Lord Corrin's balcony a week or so ago?"

Lilith nodded. "My brother has always hated being part dragon. He only transforms if there's no other choice, and even then, he mostly prefers to partially transform, so that he could retain some measure of control over himself."

Otis nodded thoughtfully. "I see," he said simply. "What about you?"

Lilith blinked and pointed to herself. "Me?" she asked.

Otis nodded. "Won't you go mad as well?"

Lilith shook her head. "N-no, I don't believe I ever will," she said. "Even though I'm a full dragon unlike my brother, who is only half-dragon, I was created to have perfect control over myself, so that I wouldn't turn against my f—Anankos." She chuckled humorlessly. "Obviously, I did anyways, but it wasn't because I was in a fit or madness or whatever. I turned against my father because at the time, I…I loved, well, let's just say that at the time, I loved my brother more than I feared Anankos, so I left."

Otis blinked in surprise. "And he let you?" he asked.

Lilith shook her head. "He tried to kill me for my betrayal," she said, twisting her braid in her hands. "But…but I managed to survive and made my way to my brother's side, albeit wounded. The first time I ever met Lord Corrin, he was scarcely past the age of seven."

Otis rubbed his chin, now interested. "How did you two meet?"

Lilith smiled gently, unable to suppress the action. "I…despite surviving Anankos' attempt on my life, I was still gravely wounded, so I…collapsed in front of my brother. He, with the mind of a child at the time, thought me to be some kind of odd bird, so he took me in and cared for me until I was strong enough to take care of myself. That was when the great astral dragon Moro changed me into the form you see before you, both so I could hide better from Anankos' servants, and so I could care for my brother without raising any suspicions."

"You say 'Anankos' instead of 'my father,'" Otis noted. "Why?"

Lilith pursed her lips. "That answer…is much more complicated than what it seems," she admitted. "I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to tell you one of my father's darkest secrets, but the simple answer I can give you right now is that…while Anankos, the one that destroyed Valla, created me, I saw him less as a father than I did a ruthless slave driver. That was why I refer to him by name, and not by his familial title."

Otis rose an eyebrow. "So you're ashamed of him? Or of yourself and your connection to him?"

Lilith's smile died. "A little bit of both," she admitted. "Not every child asks to be born, especially if you were created with the knowledge that your father was responsible for the deaths of an entire people."

"Not an entire people," Otis corrected before he could stop himself. "Only a majority of them."

Lilith looked down at her feet again. "And how was that supposed to lighten my brother and I's knowledge that our father killed countless people?" she asked bitterly.

Otis grimaced. "My apologies," he said before he realized who he was talking to. "I'm still just trying to wrap my head around the fact that you're no longer my people's tormentor. Please, forgive me."

Lilith nodded. "Of course," she said.

The two sat in silence a moment longer, Lilith averting her gaze whenever Otis looked at her and Otis averting his own whenever she did the same. Finally, Otis stood up and stretched, his joints creaking and popping in protest.

"I think we should get back on topic," Otis said as he sat back down. "Now, tell me, woman, how do you know your brother won't follow in your father's footsteps? If what you said is true regarding his first transformation, then he cannot be trusted simply because there's always the risk of his temper flaring up and—"

"You're mistaken about that," Lilith said. "The first time he transformed, he did so unwillingly. Thus, he had no dragonstone to help him control himself. Nobody had expected it, which meant Azura and Queen Mikoto had no time to present the dragonstone to him. The second time it happened, according to Lady Azura, it was in his desperation that drove him to transform unconsciously. Despite transforming unwillingly however, he was in total control. If you worry so much about Corrin turning against us, then we must first worry about our loyalty to him."

Otis frowned, confused. "You—I don't follow. Explain."

"Anankos originally fell into madness because his people abandoned him," Lilith said patiently. "I'm sure Lady Azura has told you of this before, but I'll tell you again. My father founded Valla, essentially. He was revered as a god by the Vallites, and he cared so much for them that when he was offered the chance to ascend and join his fellow dragons, he refused, preferring to serve his people. Over time, however, his sanity started to slip, which was to be expected of such a creature as powerful and old as Anankos. When his people turned on him, that was what drove him over the edge. Similarly, if all of us were to turn on Corrin simply because of his father, how do you know the same thing won't happen?"

Otis tried stammering for an answer, but Lilith interrupted him by leaning forward. "I know it may come as a difficult choice to you right now, especially with scars so fresh, but either you betray Corrin, leaving him hurt and abandoned, making him all the more likely to degenerate like Anankos, or you choose to support him when he needs it. Granted, yes, there is always the chance he _may_ destroy Valla in the future, but without our support, such an event is all but guaranteed. Whatever you think about our father, think as you wish, but when it comes to my brother, make no mistake, he is a good man."

"So was Anankos," Otis countered. "Again, all you've said to soothe my fears is that 'Oh, Lord Corrin only did it once before, and he didn't have a dragonstone at the time, so naturally he went berserk,' or that 'if we support him, then the chances of him turning on us will go down.' You've never given me concrete evidence about him! All I have to go off on is your own goodwill, but based on your history with my people, I don't even know if what you say can be trustworthy or not!"

Lilith sighed. "I know," she said tiredly. "I know you'll probably never trust or forgive me, and I don't expect you to, but if you ever have any doubts about my brother being a good man or not, just remember how he and Lady Azura interacted. Let that soothe your fears."

Otis frowned and stood up. "W-wait, what do you mean by 'remembering how Lord Corrin and Lady Azura interacted?'" he asked. "What does that even mean?"

"It means exactly what it sounds like," Lilith said, also standing up. As she walked towards the door, she looked over her shoulder to look at the older man. "Corrin's greatest strength may be his trust and compassion in people, but that can also be his greatest weakness. An empire toppled by its enemies can always rise again, always rebuild, but one that crumbles from within? That's dead, Otis. Forever."

And just like that, she was gone.

* * *

Otis stared after her, even when the door swung shut and the clacks of her wedges disappeared down the hallway, he still stared after her.

 _One that crumbles from within? What does that mean?_ he said to himself as he laid back down on his bed.

 _Remember how Lord Corrin and Lady Azura interacted with each other? What does she want me to see? They're both young, both in love. Lord Corrin's devoted to her, and Lady Azura's devoted to him. They would do anything for each other, and that's something that rarely happened, even back in my day._

Otis chuckled humorlessly. _Back in my day? Maybe I really am getting old. Maybe times are changing, and maybe for the better._

Sighing as his back popped again, Otis laid back down on his bed, his hand scrabbling blindly for his book. He cursed as he felt the tips of his fingers smash into a picture frame, sending it crashing to the ground.

Otis cursed as again as he tried reaching for the picture frame without actually get up off the bed, with little success. Finally giving in, he rolled over to replace it, and froze as he realized the contents of the picture.

It was a picture of him as his wife on their wedding day, the edges yellowed, torn, and ripped, yet the contents remained as timeless as it had been when Otis had first commissioned it. It was nothing special, just a painting of himself carrying his wife in a bridal carry roughly a week or so after the ceremony. It was one of the last reminders of his past life, a life unscarred by Anankos. He had held onto the picture for all this time, and now that he was free…well, he kept the picture for a decade already, right? What was another few years to him?

Otis chuckled softly to himself as he looked at the portrait's version of himself smiling gently down at his wife. Despite the utter look of bliss on his face at the time, what was _actually_ going through his head at the time was something more akin to screaming. Who knew carrying one's wife for hours on end could be so exhausting, but he wisely bit his tongue and took the torment in silence.

Everything was worth it to see the look of pure joy on her face.

Suddenly, Otis froze. He took the picture frame in his hand and peered intensely at the expression on the faces of him and his wife in the portrait. The artist had been a part-time mage and had the uncanny ability to convey a more realistic image onto the canvas than had one would be able to by hand, and the results had—and still—amazed Otis at how life-like it appeared.

Everything, from the refractions of light reflecting off his wife's necklace to the reflections of the background in Otis' ceremonial armor was caught perfectly, but what amazed Otis at the time hadn't been the technical skill of the painting—though that was also just as impressive—but rather how it captured the _soul._

Otis' mind flashed back to when he had talked with Lord Corrin and Lady Azura, and they had started bickering good-naturedly with each other. The look in Lord Corrin's eyes…it was almost an exact replica of the look in Otis' portrait-self.

Otis jumped off the bed and peered even closer at the picture.

 _Nobody could become as evil as Anankos and look at a woman the same way as I did at that time,_ Otis thought to himself.

Otis shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts before finally giving up and simply sitting on his bed, hands clasped together and head bowed as he prayed for wisdom from the gods.

* * *

"Lord Corrin?"

Corrin looked up from where he was working in his study to see Silas peering in, his signature cowlick looking even more unruly than usual. There was a look of unease on the knight's face, but with how mentally drained Corrin was with all the sudden influx of paper work, he couldn't bring himself to care.

"Yes?" Corrin said, raising an eyebrow. "Something you need?"

"Uh, Otis said that he wants to talk to you," Silas reported. "Apparently, according to one of the guards, he was banging on the door for a good half hour before they finally listened to him, and the only thing they got out of him was that he wanted to see you."

Corrin groaned and leaned back, rubbing his eyes. "Fine, I'll be down there in a moment," he said, picking up his blue cape from where it was slung over a nearby chair.

He paused by the doorway as he gazed longingly at Yato, which was encased in an ornate weapons rack. Ever since Anankos' death, the chainsaw-like teeth had died, the flames snuffing itself out, and the four sockets in the middle of the blade going dark. While the blade remained as sharp as ever, whenever Corrin picked it up he felt no…warmth. No power.

Apparently, much like Azura's pendant and song, Yato's only purpose to contain and kill Anankos, and without the silent dragon terrorizing the world anymore, the Yato had fell into another thousand-year slumber, waiting for the time it would be needed again, though Corrin knew that would never happen. Hopefully.

"Milord?" Silas called. "Are you alright?"

Corrin shook his head to clear his thoughts before following Silas down the stairwell. "Y-yeah," he said, his voice muffled as he tried to clasp the cape on properly. Through gritted teeth, he said, "I was just looking at Yato again."

"Is it still acting up?" Silas asked, his brows furrowed.

Corrin nodded. "Ever since Anankos died, it's…it doesn't feel right. When I hold it, it feels like I'm just holding another broadsword or katana. I don't feel any power, it just feels…empty," he said, shrugging.

"Try letting Odin and Laslow take a look at it," Silas offered helpfully. "I know they don't look it, but their knowledge on swords is actually pretty impressive. I've seen Odin make some sort of sword, except there was a hole for some reason in the middle, so obviously, it fell apart the instant Laslow sparred with him."

Corrin chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind," he said. "Apparently, before he came to this wo—to this land, Odin was actually a very prominent swordsman, a _swordsmaster_ , if Ini—if Laslow and Selena's tales held any truth."

Silas rose an eyebrow. "Oh really?" he said, rubbing his chin. "Well, in that case, I'd like to ask him about that 'sword hand' I keep hearing him talk about. You think Laslow knows anything about that?"

Corrin smiled and shrugged. "Maybe. All three of them are bound to be competent in some way, otherwise they wouldn't have become my sibling's retainers."

Silas nodded in agreement. "Maybe," he said thoughtfully. "Maybe…"

In front of them, the two guards stationed in front of Otis' room snapped to attention as Corrin and Silas approached him.

"Milord!" one of the guards reported. "The prisoner stated that he wished to speak to you, and—"

"He's not a prisoner," Corrin said gently. "We just needed a place to keep Otis safe until we could figure out how to deal with him."

The guard blinked in surprise before nodding. "Of course, milord," he said, bowing his helmet respectfully. "He's inside right now, if you wish to speak to him."

"I believe I shall," Corrin said as he opened the door. Looking back at Silas and the two guards, he ordered, "Unless you specifically hear the phrase 'Andumee and Fiern at the hill of sorrows, and their flesh like glass,' do not open the door. Do you understand?"

"If I may," Silas interjected, raising a finger, "might I ask what that phrase means?"

"It means nothing, Silas," Corrin replied. "Just some random quote I found in some old romance novel a couple days ago. It really stuck out to me for some reason, and now I can't forget it."

Silas chuckled and nodded thoughtfully. "I see then," he said. "Well in that case, good luck.

* * *

Otis looked up as Corrin gingerly shut the door behind him. "I heard you wanted to talk?" Corrin asked as he pulled up a chair in front of the older man. Otis swallowed nervously and nodded. Despite the coolness of the room, there was a visible sheen of sweat on his forehead.

"I've…been thinking," Otis admitted after a moment of silence. "About the threat you pose to Valla."

Corrin's expression darkened, but he made a _go on_ gesture with his hand.

Otis licked his chapped lips. Despite mostly assuaging all of his fears, all of his paranoia, all of his caution, there was still a healthy dollop of apprehension in him as he continued.

"I…your sister came by to talk to me yesterday," he said. Corrin rose his eyebrows momentarily in surprise but remained silent, which Otis took as a sign to continue.

Otis took a deep breath. _No going back now, old man._

In one fluid motion, Otis rose up from his chair and knelt before Corrin, whose eyebrows lifted again in surprise. His long gray ponytail fell back his shoulders, and he thought about moving it for a second, but immediately discarded the thought.

"Lord Corrin," he started, nervously at first but growing in confidence as he spoke. It had been nearly twenty or so years since he last needed to speak the ancient Vallite oath of fealty. "If you shall have me, I offer myself up to you as New Valla's first steward. From here on out, I will swear fealty to you, milord. I swear on my heart that I will, in the future, be faithful to my lord, never cause him harm, and will observe my homage to him against all persons in good faith and without deceit. On the blood of my father, and on the blood of my son, I swear to you, milord, that I shall remain faithful to you, either until the end of my days, or until you deem me unfit for service."

Corrin blinked as he awkwardly rose up. "Uh, I…accept?" he said hesitatingly, adjusting his cape. "I mean, Otis, you really don't have to do it so formally, you know. You can literally just walk up to me, tell me that you want to serve me, and Azura and I can take care of the paperwork, right?"

"Maybe in the future," Otis remarked. "But I felt it fitting to do so as New Valla's first steward, and even more so for its first king."

Corrin lifted his eyebrows in surprise as a smile broke out on his face. "So, you made up your mind then about me?"

Otis smiled back, though nearly not as large. "Mostly," he admitted. "I admit, there are a few fears that I still have of you, but most of them are simply due to my previous experiences with dragons. I hope you understand."

Corrin nodded. "Oh, of course. Absolutely," he said. "If I may, Otis, what caused you to change heart?"

Otis smiled and bowed his head. "You can thank your sister for that," he said. "She…reminded me to remember how you and Lady Azura were together, and that brought up…many buried memories. Without overwhelming you with my personal life, I simply felt that nobody could scheme to destroy New Valla while looking at the love of their life like that."

"Like what?" Corrin asked, confused.

Otis sighed and shook his head. "It's…a complicated explanation," he admitted. "You'd have to ask the merchant who painted the wedding picture of my wife and I together, but once you see it, you'll understand."

"Maybe I will," Corrin mused, rubbing his chin with his hand before realizing what he just said. "Not that I need a wedding picture yet!" he corrected chuckling nervously. "I mean, I don't think it's physically possible for us to plan—never mind. Do…do you remember what the merchant's name was?"

Otis looked thoughtfully up at the ceiling as he tried to recall. "I doubt that she's still alive, considering how she was one of the few who actively resisted Anankos' coup, but I remember her name going somewhere along the line of 'Ada' or 'Anne.'" Shaking his head, Otis said, "I'm sorry, milord. I'm afraid I don't remember."

"Oh. That's alright," Corrin said, not bothering to hide his disappointment, no matter how small.

"So…what do you plan to do now?" he asked.

Otis rose an eyebrow. "You're the king, milord. You're the one to give me responsibilities and whatnot."

"First off, I'm not king yet," Corrin corrected. "I haven't been coronated yet, and Azura hasn't abdicated the throne to me yet, which means I'm still technically a prince, so—"

"That matters not to me," Otis said. "As far as I'm concerned, you are the only king of New Valla, and I shall treat you as so."

"Now you're starting to sound like Jakob," Corrin said with an exaggerated groan. "Swearing fealty to this and swearing fealty to that."

Otis smiled. "Yes, well, I'm not your butler, now am I? I'm your steward, and that's a _very_ big difference."

"You bet there is," Corrin shot back as he knocked on the door, forgetting for a moment his instructions to the guards outside. "At least you have a sense of humor."

Corrin frowned as the door remained shut. "Hey, we're done in here!" he shouted. "Otis can be set free!"

"Your secret quote, milord!" Silas shouted back, his voice muffled by the door between them. "You told us not to open the door unless you shouted some sort of quote!"

Corrin scratched his head. "Huh. Figures that _that's_ the only thing he pays attention to whenever we talk," he muttered.

"By the way," Silas' voice continued, "Felicia came by and she told me that the book that came from was actually a line from a very…uh, let's just say it was written for erotica purposes."

Corrin flushed a scarlet red as he whirled on Otis. "Say nothing of this," he hissed, though Otis could tell he wasn't genuinely upset.

Otis shrugged and stepped back, his hands raised placatingly. "You see them once, you've seen them all."

* * *

A/N: Again, apologies if this seems rushed or convenient, but I wanted to get this out so I can get to the good kush.


	41. Chapter 39

Corrin slowly climbed the worn steps up to one of the watchtowers built in New Gyges. It was close to sunset, and through the slits in the curved way to his right, he could see the shadow-streaked buildings of New Gyges, as well as the hazy fields outside the city and, as he spiraled around, the dark clouds perpetually hanging over The Bottomless Canyon, though Corrin and Azura had noted with some interest that once Anankos died, the sky above the yawning chasm seemed to brighten up considerably.

The tower was tall, and Corrin was tired. He wished he could've flown up to wherever they were meeting in the watchtower, but with the recent number of Vallite refugees trickling in, and with the wounds of the past still to recent for them, he decided to remain in his human form, at least until he knew they would accept his alternate self. Otis had stayed faithful to his promise, and no word of Corrin's heritage had escaped to anyone besides himself, Otis, Azura, Lilith, and Leo, according to Azura.

In a way, Corrin felt somewhat bitter at having to keep his blood a secret from all save for those closest to him, but he knew the consequences of having the general populace learn of his draconic heritage. Many Vallites still held animosities towards dragons in general, not just Anankos, which meant any rumors of Corrin or Lilith being dragons springing up now had to be put down quickly and quietly, else chaos would ensue, and with New Valla still in its infant stage, that _could not_ happen.

Corrin yawned as he put one foot in front of another. It had been a long day, and right then, he wanted nothing more than to sit with Azura and drink a cup of hot coffee or tea while watching the light fade from the sky. But, as always, there was always just one more thing to be done.

It had been about a month or so since Anankos' death, and by extension, three weeks since the surviving Vallite slaves had been rescued and those who escaped Anankos' wrath nearly two decades ago started to trickle into New Valla, curious about their new ruler. Already, news of the "Invisible War," as the people had already dubbed it, were spreading all over Hoshido and Nohr, and a peace treaty had already been drafted, passed, and put into effect, effectively ending the decades-long war that the two nations had been embroiled in.

Already, most of the surviving members of his elite guard had split off to find their own paths in life now that the newfound peace rendered their services unnecessary. His siblings' retainers had, of course, remained with their respective, but soon, only Jakob, Kaze, Otis, Flora, Felicia, Gunter, Silas, and Mozu remained out of his original elite guard, along with a smattering of soldiers, mostly those who had fought in the Invisible War and survived to tell the tale and were loyal to Corrin and his beliefs, no matter how idealistic they might've been at first.

Corrin grimaced unconsciously as thoughts about the toll the war with Anankos had taken on the populations of both Hoshido and Nohr. Nearly _ten thousand_ people died. That was nearly ten thousand family lines or legacies dead, all in the course of less than a week.

Thankfully, with the official decrees Ryoma and Xander sent out mere days after Anankos' death, the families who lost loved ones had _seemed_ forgiving enough, according to his older siblings, but then again, it was always easier to smile and lie than to truly forgive someone.

Corrin chest tightened as he thought of Azura. He had only seen Azura twice that day. She had spent most of her day helping the Vallites settling in and taking care of her own share of paperwork needed to coronate her as the official queen of New Valla, abdicating the throne to him, _and then_ even more paperwork dealing with her new official status as Queen-Consort. To Corrin's envy, she had completed nearly all of that in the same amount of time it took for him to do his own share of stateswork.

Granted, planning the formation and birth of a new country was expected to take longer, but Corrin couldn't help but feel a tad bit jealous of Azura for completing her share so quickly, though they had both laughed about it during one of their rare moments together.

It seemed as if the stairs of the tower would never end. He trudged upward and upward, round and round, until the people in the fledgling streets between the newly-built buildings outside New Gyges' walls appears as small as ants. His calves and the back of his ankles burned from the repetitive motion. He saw the nests of birds built within the narrow windows, and beneath one window, he found a pile of small skeletons: the leavings of a hawk or eagle.

When at last the top of the winding staircase appeared, he paused to gather his thoughts and allow his breathing to slow. Then he climbed the last few feet, lifted the hatch, and pushed forward into the large round chamber atop the ancient watchtower.

Waiting for him were six people, along with Azura: Ryoma and Xander, Leo, Takumi, and Otis. They stood—or in the case of Otis—sat in a widely spaced circle, with Azura directly opposite the stairs, before the southern-facing window that beautifully illuminate the curves of her cheeks and cast her body in a golden light.

Corrin felt his heart skip a beat.

The light from the dying chamber streamed sideways through the chamber, illuminating the ancient carvings upon the walls and the intricate pattern of colored stone set within the chipped floor.

As Corrin opened the door, they all looked at him, and a wide smile broke out across Azura's face as she briskly walked over to him and gave him a brief hug. "Corrin!" she exclaimed, happy to see him. Evidently, she had missed him as much as he missed her.

Corrin smiled and nodded. "Hey there," he greeted as he gently patted her head before crossing the room so that he was standing next to Azura's previous position.

She followed him and surreptitiously wrapped her fingers around his as he looked around the room.

No one in the room seemed willing to speak first. From the city below, Corrin heard a horse whinny. Off by the castle came the rapping of picks and chisels as workers tried to renovate the castle. Otis shifted uncomfortably in his chair, but when Corrin made eye contact him, he winked back almost jovially.

Finally, Xander broke the silence. "We have a decision to make," he said.

"We know," Takumi grumbled, arms crossed.

"Let him speak," Ryoma chided, and gestured with his hand. "The war is over now. There's no need for any bitterness or hidden animosity in our interactions anymore."

"Well said," Xander said. Looking around the room at everyone of them, he said, "There is no hiding that Anankos is dead. Even now, word of Corrin and Azura's victory wings its way across the land. I reckon that by the end of the week, Anankos' demise and the newfound peace between Hoshido and Nohr will be known to all save for those in the most remote of locations."

"As it should be," Corrin said.

"As it should be," Xander agreed, nodding. "But, as people learn that Anankos has fallen, and that New Valla is being rebuilt in the ashes of the original, the first question people will ask is who has taken his place." Xander looked around at their faces. "We should provide them with an official answer now before unrest begins to spread. King Garon is dead. Queen Mikoto is dead. Rumors aplenty are afoot, I'm sure. It is important that we quell them before they cause harm. To delay would be disastrous. We cannot allow every lord in New Valla's border with a measure of troops to believe that this new land at the southern tip of The Bottomless Canyon is an opportunity to set themselves up as ruler of their own petty monarchy. Should that happen, New Valla will disintegrate into dozens of different kingdoms. Corrin, Azura. This is your responsibility. None of us want that. A successor must be chosen—chosen and named, however difficult that may be."

Takumi rolled his eyes. "Why, then, do I and Leo need to be here?"

"Because we're not just here to discuss out kingdom's future," Leo replied, rolling his eyes. "This meeting is also supposed to be the quote-end-quote 'official' peace summit between New Valla, Hoshido, and Nohr. So, if I were you, I'd—"

"Relax, Leo," Corrin said rested a hand on his younger step-brother's shoulder. Looking at Xander, he said, "I agree. Azura and I have already talked about this topic in great lengths beforehand, and together, we've decided on who should be the new ruler of New Valla."

Ryoma's eyebrows furrowed. "Azura, you are the rightful queen of Valla, are you not? What are—"

"I plan to abdicate my position to Corrin, so that I may serve by his side as Queen-Consort," she said stiffly and formally.

The chamber fell silent, save for the scratching of a feather quill as Leo scribbled something down on a parchment.

"You're sure about this?" Ryoma asked. "Once you abdicate—"

"I'm sure," Azura said firmly, and Corrin squeezed her hand supportively. She had never been comfortable talking so confidently in front of so many people, even if most of them were her siblings. "I've already completed the paperwork required for this change in power, and I'm simply more comfortable serving Corrin away from the eyes of the masses."

"That's to expected, especially from one as shy and reserved as you," Leo noted. Glancing at Otis, he asked, "Did you get that?"

"Of course, milord," Otis said, nodding.

"What's he doing here?" Corrin finally asked.

"He's apparently here to write down the conversation as it plays out, word for word," Takumi explained sharply. "Which means that unless you want your servant to do extra work, you keep your comments to a minimum."

"Takumi!" Azura and Ryoma said sharply.

"Oh, it's not a problem!" Otis said, oblivious to the sudden sharpness in Azura and Ryoma's tones. "Trust me, serving King Theophilus for so long more than prepared me for serving the future king of New Valla."

Corrin bit his tongue but remained silent, not even bothering to spare a glance towards Takumi. Takumi and Corrin never got along very well, what with Takumi's prickly attitude. Though they had never come close to blows or unfettered insults, it was clear to everyone that Takumi still hadn't forgiven Corrin for his "betrayal" of Hoshido over a year ago, despite the knowledge of a greater threat looming on the horizon.

Some grudges last a long time.

Xander cleared his throat. "If we could get back on topic, our next problem is determining _who_ Azura abdicated her throne to."

Despite the formality of his words, Corrin could tell by how bored Xander's eyes seemed to be that he was only speaking about such a derivative topic for formality's sake, rather than genuine confusion or curiousity.

"I plan to abdicate the throne to Corrin," Azura said, equally dully.

"To nobody's surprise," Takumi muttered.

"What did you say about keeping comments to yourself?" Leo asked.

"Shut up."

"You shut up."

"How about we both shut up?" Takumi shot back.

"Er, please don't put that in the script," Corrin said nervously to Otis, who looked up in confusion at the sudden string of insults traded between the two princes.

"Ah, of course," he said, hastily scratching out some lines. "I suppose it wouldn't do to hear about how the two princes of Hoshido and Nohr bickered back and forth at was supposed to be an official peace summit."

"Well, that's settled," Corrin said with finality as he looked around the room. "Is there anything else we need to discuss?"

"Yes, there is," Ryoma said. He gestured around the room. "As you know, Corrin, Xander and I have our own kingdoms to run now. I'm afraid that means that by the end of the week, it'll be the last of us that you'll see for a good while."

Corrin blinked. "You're leaving?" he asked. Part of him felt so silly for asking such a stupid question. Of course they were going to leave eventually. Who was he to naively believe their little fellowship could remain together forever? He supposed he just didn't expect to depart so soon, if you could call a month _soon_.

Xander nodded. "I'm afraid Nohr is still undergoing a bit of a recession. Ironically, despite our father being one of the main reasons why we were in said recession in the first place, reports say that things seemed to have worsened since his death, unfortunately."

"Same in Hoshido," Takumi muttered. "Plus, we've been here in New Valla for too long. We need to get back. There's already been whispers of rebellion going around. We need to take care of that immediately"

"When are you leaving?" Corrin asked.

"Either tomorrow morning or the end of the week," Leo replied, avoiding his gaze.

"Today's the sixth day of the week," Corrin deadpanned. "Both could apply."

"T—you know what I mean!" Leo snapped, uncharacteristically looking flushed for once. "And since we're on the subject on us leaving for our home countries, Sakura's coming back with me to Nohr."

Corrin rose an eyebrow as Azura smiled faintly. "Sakura?" he asked. To his left, Azura nodded mirthfully, struggling to hide the mischievous smile on her lips. "I see you've decided to court her?" he asked Leo.

Before Leo could respond, Takumi interjected by saying teasingly, "It was inevitable, really. You should've seen how he confessed to her. All tears and getting down on one knee and all. You know, the dramatic way."

"I did not!" Leo snapped. Them with an air of indifferent indignance, he added, "I asked for her hand the _proper_ way, which brings up my next point. If you're planning on courting your own retainer, that automatically renders your opinion and advice on others' relationship moot."

Ryoma chuckled as Takumi turned red. "Well, then, I suppose now would be a bad time to bring up that Camilla's coming with me to Hoshido then, isn't it?" he asked playfully.

Corrin gaped at Ryoma before noticing Xander's crestfallen expression. He had been courting Charlotte during the war, and she had died of her injuries shortly after Anankos' death, which made it all the more tragic once Corrin realized Xander had already bought a ring. Corrin immediately wiped the smile off his face, noticing Azura did the same. Noticing his sudden change in disposition, everyone followed Corrin's gaze to Xander and soon, the room was as silent as it had been when Corrin entered.

Takumi coughed awkwardly. Leo twirled a feather around in his fingers, his eyes drifted towards the ceiling as if he was lost in thought, though Corrin could tell by the way he tapped his foot that he felt just as nervous and awkward as the rest of them. Xander continued staring down at his boots. Ryoma tightened his grip on Raijinto, Azura tightened her grip on Corrin's hand and Corrin pursed his lips as he tried to think of a way to continue the conversation. Only Otis remained blissfully unperturbed, scribbling down their words onto his parchment.

Finally, Corrin managed to break the silence by choking out, "I guess we'll miss you. _Both_ of us." He squeezed Azura's hand.

Catching on, she nodded. "Yes, we'll miss you dearly," she said hastily. Then, trying to lighten the mood, she added cheekily, "All of you. Even Takumi."

"Hey!"

Xander chuckled morosely. "I could say the same for us," he said solemnly. "Don't worry though, we'll make sure to show up for the coronation and wedding."

"Speaking of which, when is it?" Leo asked.

"Which one?" Corrin asked.

"The wedding."

Corrin and Azura both blushed and looked away from each other. "Ah yes, well, I haven't _exactly_ proposed yet, so—"

"You haven't?" Takumi asked. "Then how come—"

"Please, Takumi," Ryoma said exasperatedly. "They're grown adults, for gods' sakes. Not to mention they're the future king and queen of Valla."

"New Valla," Corrin corrected. "And trust me, Ryoma, I still haven't forgotten that _talk_ you gave me."

Now it was Xander and Ryoma's turn to turn red as they spluttered for a comeback. Azura smiled and squeezed Corrin's hand again, him squeezing back in return. As per her usual habits, she tried to edge in between him and the wall, so that she could hide behind him, away from prying eyes, as was her habit. He shifted to allow her space, and she was soon peering out at her siblings all cavorting with each other from behind Corrin, Otis looking up in confusion at the sudden change in mood.

"Uh, is the meeting adjourned?" he asked. "D-do you still need me to take notes?"

Azura smiled as Corrin pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Don't worry, we'll see them again," he said reassuringly as she kissed him back on the cheek.

"I know," she said. Teasingly, she added, "I just wanted to make sure you didn't cry."

"I never cry."

"Uh-huh."

"Well, unless, you know, friends or family happen to be involved."

"I'm pretty sure that applies to _everybody,_ Corrin."

"Uh-huh, whatever you say."


	42. Interlude: A Dark Reunion

A/N: So AP Exams and Finals week are in the next three weeks, which means I'll be _very_ inactive. Just letting you guys know why.

* * *

Becker sighed, his breath misting in the frigid mountain blizzard. "Why do we even need to stand out here?" he asked his companion, a man barely past the age of twenty with chocolate-brown hair that reached down to his shoulders, though it was currently tied into a neat ponytail.

The other guard sighed as well, though more out of exasperation at having to hear his companion complain about their job for the _fourteenth_ time in the last half-hour.

"Why do we even need to get paid?" he replied, his voice dripping with poorly concealed sarcasm. "I mean, it's almost as if it's our _job_ to, you know, _guard_ stuff."

Becker sighed again, rolling his eyes and waving a hand dismissively. "You know what I mean, Andros. I'm just saying, why do we need to be out here, of all times? It's the middle of the bleeding _winter_ , ain't it? Bears are supposed to be sleepin' their asses off, and no bandit would even bother trying to break into a manor that they can't even properly see without wiping away a foot of snow from their eyes," he complained. "Like, think about it. Am I right, or am I right?"

Andros grit his teeth at his partner's incessant chattering, regretting asking the captain to switch him out with the more fortunate guard, who was undoubtedly sleeping his head off back in his quarters. But there was a reason why he asked to be out in a shift with Becker, possibly the loosest definition of a guard.

"Tamora's convoy is almost two days late, Becker," he reminded, exasperated. "There's no way we can send out soldiers to go look for them until this storm dies down, which means until then, we need to keep an eye out for her and her men."

Becker cocked an eyebrow. " _Tamora_ , huh? Since when did you two start on a _first-name_ basis?"

Andros flushed red as he thought back to the last time he saw his paramour before she traveled to Castle Krackenburg to participate in a yearly gathering of nobles in King Garon's court. Of course, that was before King Garon suddenly vanished into thin air, only for a decree issued by Prince Xander himself declaring that the war with Hoshido was over and that he would be absent for another two weeks so he could draft a treaty with Prince Ryoma to secure peace between the two kingdoms.

At first, Andros had been suspicious. There was no way the war with Hoshido could be over, right? But then news of how there was an "invisible" kingdom started spreading, and as much as Andros wanted to think it as some kind of hoax, as the news spread further and further, and as more and more things made sense—things that had seemed improbable or outright impossible, such as the destruction of Cyrkensia despite neither Nohr or Hoshido being there—the more he bought into the news. Secretly, however, he was relieved, since it likely meant he would never be forced into the frontlines against Hoshido, which meant he could finally quit his job as a lowly guard and follow in his father's footsteps of being an artist.

But the real reason he was relieved was because it meant he could finally propose and marry Tamora and build a happy future for her. He had already bought the ring, and even through the thick woolen overcoat he wore over his armor to protect him from the winter chills, he could still feel the velvet box tucked against his chest.

They had met during their youth, when Duke Eliwen, Tamora's father, hired his father to paint a portrait of him and his family. As Andros was of age at that time, his father decided to bring him along, and the instant Tamora looked at him, his heart belonged to hers.

To his delight, she reciprocated his feelings, and surprisingly, both Duke Eliwen and his father approved of their match, though he knew it was because of a chance to further his own career for his father, but Duke Eliwen seemed genuinely happy for him and his daughter. Later, he would learn why it had been so difficult to find a suitor for Tamora.

She was brash, demanding, somewhat spoiled, and extremely aggressive, yet those words of caution did nothing but strengthen his feelings for her, which both surprised and pleased Duke Eliwen. In a strange twist of fate, Andros had ended up serving as a guard for Duke Eliwen, much to both of their delight. Andros had already asked Duke Eliwen for his permission to marry his daughter, and he had readily agreed, which meant the only thing they were waiting on now was the woman herself.

Unfortunately, with the duke nearing the end of his natural life and unfit to brave the harsh climate, Tamora was forced to go in his place. None of them were happy, least of all Tamora, but Duke Eliwen's heart laid with Nohr, and so she reluctantly set off on her journey to Castle Krackenburg.

That had been over a month ago.

Now, with the news that King Garon was dead, that Nohr and Hoshido were now at peace with each other, and that Prince Xander was their new king spreading to even the most remote of locations, courtesy of Nohrian blizzard pigeons, a bird specifically bred to brave the harshness of almost anything Nohr can throw at it, not just cold weather. Tamora had sent him and her father a letter saying that she was on her way back to the estate to tell them about the new peace treaty.

Duke Eliwen was relatively displeased at the prospect of having to share his land with the Hoshidans and had angrily ranted until a healer cast a sleeping spell over him lest he have a heart attack and die right then and there.

"Hey, uh, you there?"

Andros blinked in surprise as Becker snapped his fingers under his nose. "W-wait, what?"

Becker rolled his eyes and lightly slapped the side of Andros' helm. "Uh, well, Dusk Dragon to Andros! You've been staring off into empty space for the past three minutes. Did you even hear what I said?"

Andros shook his head, righting his helmet where Becker had inadvertently tilted it. "No, my apologies. Must've spaced out there for a moment. Repeat, please?"

Becker rolled his eyes. "And you always call me out for not paying attention on guard duty," he scoffed, shaking his head. "Hypocrite."

"Do you want to speak your mind or not?" Andros said. "If not, then shut up and keep an eye out for Tamora!"

Becker grinned again and gently pushed Andros in the shoulder. "Ah, yeah, as I was saying, since when did you and _Lady Tamora_ start referring to each other using only your first names?"

"It's none of your business," Andros said brusquely, turning away.

"Ah, but I think everything's my business when there's a _lady_ walking around!" Becker drawled, slinging an arm around Andros' shoulder.

"I mean, I think Lady Tamora's got a pretty nice arse, don't you think?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows. "Plus, her chest? _Mmph!_ Whatever's holding those things up, it might as be a bookshelf, 'cause the amount of 'plot' those 'books' have is enough to fill an entire library! If you know what I'm saying," he added, winking.

"No. I don't." Andros coldly lifted Becker's arm off himself. "I have several things wrong with that statement," he deadpanned. "First off, I fail to make the connection between Tamora's chest and a library—"

Becker rolled his eyes and slapped his forehead. "Come _on!_ Do I really have to spell it out for you?"

"Second off, have you been drinking?"

"Only a little bit," Becker admitted. "I had a glass before I showed up, so I guess—"

"Thirdly," Andros continued, his voice even colder than before. " _Thirdly_ , the next time you talk about my beloved like that, I will use that pathetic toothpick you call a sword to perform a circumcision on you while wearing a blindfold."

Becker looked down at his sword, a notched, almost rusting longblade, then his groin, then back up at Andros who continued to stare unwaveringly at him.

"Alright," he said. "Fair point."

Suddenly, his eyes widened as he picked up on what Andros said. "Wait, your _lover?"_ he blurted.

Andros gritted his teeth. "Yes, my lover," he said, pulling away his overcoat from his body long enough to show Becker the tiny velvet box tucked away in its pockets.

Becker's eyes, if possible, became even wider and looked up at Andros then back down at the box, and then back up, all the way until Andros hid the box from Becker's view. "No way," he breathed.

"You _proposing_ to the duke's own daughter?" Becker said loudly. He clapped Andros soundly on the shoulder and punched him lightly in the gut. "Nice going, man!" he said. "You got taste!"

Andros grunted as he pushed Becker away, though he couldn't keep a small smile from appearing out on his face. "Yes, well, maybe you should learn how to talk to a woman that doesn't involve pointing out her chest. Maybe then you'll actually get laid one day."

"I don't just compliment her curves though," Becker mumbled. "I compliment her attire too…"

"Have you been taking lessons from that retainer of Prince Xander's? The womanizer?" Andros asked, rolling his eyes.

Becker nodded reluctantly. "He sounded knowledgeable," he admitted.

"Knowledgeable with being arrested for sexual harassment and disturbing the peace, maybe," Andros snapped back, exasperated. "But with women? Please, I think you're better off without his 'advice.'"

Becker opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, his eyes widened. He stumbled back, hands already going to his sword before he slumped back against the wall, an arrow buried in his mouth.

Andros reacted instantly, ducking behind a nearby pillar. Remembering his training, he only peeked out from behind the pillar exposing only his nose, not his whole head. His amber eyes darted around, trying to find some sign of their attacker in the wall of white around him.

Beside him, Becker twitched one last time, trying to pull the arrow out of his mouth before finally giving up and dying. Andros wasted a brief moment to utter a silent prayer for his partner, despite his lewdness and laziness, but that one moment proved to be a mistake.

The instant his eyes closed in prayer, an explosion rang throughout the night, throwing him back against a wall and all but incinerating the remains of Becker's cooling corpse. The pillar cracked, but barely held.

Andros slammed into the wall and fell to the floor, his vision blurry. Distantly, he could hear the other guards shouting before mysteriously falling silent, but all he could care at the moment was watching the figure stepping out of the blizzard and slowly approaching him.

Andros' eyes widened as Tamora stared back at him, her fists clenched around some sort of book. Despite the cold, she was still dressed in her normal travelling clothes, but even that oddity faded as Andros looked his lover in the eyes.

To his shock, they were red, as red as the Nohrian blood moon.

"T-tammy?" he whispered, for his vision was already going dark around the edges even as he weakly reached out towards her. "Y-your eyes…"

Tamora's eyes only narrowed in what looked like contempt before she opened the book, flipped to a seemingly random page, and began reading, her voice layered with what was undoubtedly magic. Andros could only watch numbly as she performed whatever kind of spell she was trying to cast, and with an abrupt _snap_ of the tome shutting, Tamora knelt down close to him, their faces scarcely more than a couple inches apart.

"You are mine, now," she whispered, and her voice was like a slithery snake that crawled inside Andros' ears and made him want to wriggle inside.

Despite his wounds, Andros tried to lean away. "W-what?"

Tamora said nothing, save for making a shushing motion with her fingers. Then a sharp pain erupted in his chest and the back of his head, and everything went black.

* * *

Iago frowned in concentration as he quickly read off the words needed for the spell to be completed. He had tried this particular spell six times before already, but of those six times, only three of those attempts had worked out in his favor. The rest of the time, he had to immediately destroy his failed creations.

Luckily, the three guards he had "persuaded" to join his cause were ten times the fighter they would've been in life. If that hadn't been the case, assaulting the manor with a tome, three men, and a half-mask would've seemed laughable at best and suicidal at worst, but when you added in Anankos' favor… _then_ it becomes an entirely different story.

In front of him, the guard's corpse twitched slightly, before jumping to his feet with the fluidity and agility of a trained dancer before stooping down to pick up his discarded weapon. To Iago's pleasure, when the undead guard turned to him, his eyes shone red, and a purple mist seemed to drift off his body, though Iago would know it would soon fade.

"Who are you?" Iago asked. He wasn't actually curious, of course, but it would always do to know the former identities of his puppets, in case they held a particularly powerful position or title.

"Andros of the house of Vincei's," the guard immediately replied.

Iago couldn't help but hide a smirk behind his hand. The spell had worked, and it was getting exponentially easier to cast and perform. Lord Anankos' gift was already proving it's worth.

"Who is in charge here?" he asked the puppet.

"Duke Eliwen, father of Lady Tamora," the guard replied. Then, sensing his master's thoughts, he added, "He is currently in his bedroom, resting."

"How is he?" Iago asked, voice dripping with false-concern.

The guard took a moment to think, not that Iago let him, for as soon he mentally pulled on his leash, the guard immediately replied, "He is sixty-four years old as of this coming winter. He is currently afflicted with a cold. He is likely he will not survive the month."

Iago smirked again. Good. All he has to do now is make his death believable.

"Good, take me to him," he ordered.

* * *

Duke Eliwen's eyes snapped open as a muffled _boom_ shook the room. Grunting in pain as his swelled joints popped and creaked, he slowly sat up, his gnarled hands reaching blindly for his glasses. Upon setting his spectacles over his eyes, he looked around before one of the guards—Jenson, he remembered—burst into the room, breath ragged and a panicked look in his eyes.

"Duke Eliwen!" he shouted. "Duke Eliwen!"

"What is it, boy?" Eliwen asked, struggling to swing his legs over the edge of the bed. The action which had seemed so easy scarcely more than a week ago left his legs aching and back popping.

"Please, don't strain yourself, sir!" Jensen said, walking closer to him.

Eliwen waved a hand dismissively. "Please, it's not like I'm going to magically get younger any time soon," he said sardonically. "Now, tell me, what's going on? What was that explosion I heard?"

Jensen, being the wonderful young soul he was, ignored Eliwen's dismissive comment and sheathed his sword to help Eliwen to his feet.

That was the last thing the boy did.

Eliwen blinked and recoiled in shock as a shower of blood sprayed him head to toe. As he wiped the blood off his glasses, he looked at the sudden hole in Jensen's chest with horror. So clean was the blow that Eliwen was able to literally see straight through him.

The boy looked down, an expression of utter surprise and terror on his face. He looked up at Eliwen one last time before the wound took its toll, and he wordlessly slid to the ground, his partially-sheathed sword clattering against the ground.

Eliwen pushed the image of the boy's distraught face out of his mind as he stooped down to pick up the youth's fallen sword, his back popping. Too many times, he had seen similar expressions on similar boys seconds before Hoshidan ninjas cut them down. He never wanted to get used to such a grisly sight, but get used to it he did, much to his own disgust.

As he stood back up, Eliwen froze at the sight of two red lights staring back out at him in the darkened corridor outside his bedroom. As Eliwen shakily leveled his fallen guard's sword towards the light, the sword just as quickly clattered to the ground as a woman stepped into the light.

"T…Tamora?" Eliwen rasped, stepping towards her. He reached out towards with all the parental instinct he could muster in his aging body. "Tamora? What's going on?"

His daughter returned the hug easily enough, though a bit stiffly as she said, "Everything is fine, Eliwen. I'm…just _rearranging_ a few things."

Eliwen frowned as he pulled back. "'Eliwen?' What happened to 'father?'"

It was only then that he remembered the red lights glaring at him from the hallway, and his eyes widened as his brown pupils met red.

"Tamora? What have you—"

The woman's eyes glinted dangerously before Eliwen suddenly grunted and stepped backward, some sort of purple miasma floating around his chest before sinking into his body. His hands came up to feel the place where the cloud had sunk into him before a stabbing pain shot through his chest.

He collapsed to the floor, coughing and struggling for breath as he looked up at his daughter. There was a sinister smirk on Tamora's face as she effortlessly lifted him up and set him down on his bed. With a snap of her finger, the blood pooling around Jensen's corpse and onto the bled vanished, and the boy's corpse was flung disrespectfully out of the room, splattering against the wall.

" _Oops_ ," Tamora said sadistically, as she folded Eliwen's hands over his chest. "Guess I'll have to find someone to fix that mass, right, _father?"_

Eliwen had no strength left in him to fight against the intruder, but he managed to gasp out, "You're…not…my…d…daughter."

Not-Tamora grinned wickedly again as she swept the blanket onto him. "Of course I am!" she said cheerfully, in a manner inconsistent with the evil smile plastered on his beautiful face. "I mean, who else but your daughter is going to take over for you after you die peacefully in your sleep?"

Eliwen's eyes narrowed, his eyes vision going dark. "You…son of…a…"

Tamora tutted and waggled her finger at him. "Nuh-uh-uh! No cursing allowed here!" she said in a sing-song voice before she rested her palm against Eliwen's chest, directly over his heart.

He felt the imposter's hand push once, twice, thrice into his chest, and then a another sharp burst of pain exploded across his entire body, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

His heart continued to beat.

 _BA-BUMP._

Once.

 _BA-BUMP._

Twice.

 _BA-BA-BUMP._

Thrice.

And then it remained still.

* * *

Iago sighed and mentally patted himself on the back as he lifted his hands from the old man's chest. He grinned again to himself as he crossed over to the desk on the other side of the room.

Sweeping a critical eye over the deceased duke's belongings, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

Lord Anankos' will _will_ be carried out

* * *

A/N: So sorry if the ending seemed a bit too cliched or Bond-like, and I also apologize for Iago's Peri-like demeanor, but in my head, I find him similar to Peri when it comes to making other people suffer. Peri is just fascinated with the blood, but Iago is more interested in snuffing out people's souls, in my opinion.


	43. Chapter 40

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire emblem fates or any of it's characters.

* * *

Corrin waved melancholy from the top of the castle walls as he watched the wyverns ferrying Xander, Leo, Elise, and Sakura shrink into nothing as they winged their way back towards Nohr's border. Ryoma, Takumi, Hinoka, and Camilla did the same but on pegasi instead. Below them, on the ground, the rabble of soldiers who elected to return home to their families instead of settling down in New Valla slowly vanished over the horizon.

Beside him, Azura rested a hand on his shoulder. "We'll see them again," she said soothingly.

"I know," he replied simply before turning away and walking down the steps to the castle courtyard where Silas and Kaze were already waiting for them, with Felicia and Mozu standing closely behind them.

Contrary to Corrin's expectations, the entire leave-taking was a lot less dramatic than he had anticipated, especially when compared to the amount of work it took to bring the two groups together in the first place. The retainers had, as expected, left with their respective royals, and Ryoma and Xander had been generous enough to station a portion of their forces that had remained in their world to act as a temporary standing military. At first, Corrin had been concerned that old grudges would resurface without the royals to watch over their men, but to his surprise, the two groups managed to cooperate together with nary a raised voice.

Though Azura assured that it was mainly because of his charisma and kindness towards both factions, Corrin felt that it had little to do with his prowess as a leader. Ryoma and Xander had taken great care in picking warriors who were to remain in Valla to act as the temporary standing military, selecting only those with a reputation for a quick blade, sound judgement, and, above all, a calm and even disposition. Luckily, most of the soldiers who were chosen to remain in Valla also lived relatively close to the fledging kingdom's lands, which was already a boon in of itself. The fact that several of the soldiers who remained in Valla were also the same ones who made that fateful journey into the ruined land was also a boon, as their interactions with members from their "archenemies" set an example for the rest of the army to follow.

Members of his personal guard slowly leave one by one, returning to their homes and duties until only a handful remain. Silas and Kaze—who Corrin had assigned the position of being his personal retainers scarcely less than two days ago—had obviously chosen the stay, along with Flora, Felicia, Jakob, and Mozu.

The farm girl, with her village destroyed, people killed, and land salted, had nowhere to call a home, so Corrin had graciously asked her to stay with them until either she found herself a new place to live or until she finally married Kaze so she could move in with him. What followed was an uncharacteristic spluttering and embarrassed neck-rubbing from the normally collected ninja, much to everyone's chagrin.

As for those who lost loved ones? Corrin didn't have an answer for them. He found himself unable to do anything more than mutely pat the person on the shoulder and tell them that there will always be friends and a place for them to stay in New Valla, should they decide to visit. It seemed paltry in comparison to the amount of anguish the loss of a loved one would undoubtedly cause, and Corrin often found himself thanking the deities for allowing Azura to live through, but it was the best he could offer.

Soon after his siblings leave, the weeks stared to pass both quickly and slowly for him and Azura. Quickly because there was still much for him and Azura to do to prepare for New Valla's future, and rare was the day that they were not mentally exhausted by sundown. Slowly because despite the mountain of tasks ahead of him, Corrin still often felt like they were idling in a patch of becalmed water, waiting for something, anything, to push them back into the main current.

He stayed for another month or so in New Valla following his siblings' departure, helping establish the fledging kingdom's presence and throughout the surrounding area. Much of that time was spent riding across the nation, informing nearby nobles and dukes about the new changes coming to their territories and, more often than not, dealing with said nobles and dukes who were outraged at being forced to rub shoulders with their "sworn enemies."

He also spent much time hunting down groups of soldiers who had deserted either the Hoshidan or Nohrian army, unable to cope with the fact that they were now allies with each other and so they turned to preying upon nearby travelers, peasants, and estates to support themselves. Thankfully, following putting down said deserters, the nobles became more willing to listen to his words, and rare became the times where he found himself sleeping out in the countryside instead of in the noble's estate.

While on his journey, Corrin noticed that everyone—Hoshidan, Nohrian, Vallite, Nestrian, didn't matter—treated him differently than they had before Anankos' death. They were even more respectful and deferential, especially the Vallites, and they regarded him and Azura—but mostly him, much to his chagrin—with what he slowly came to understand was a sense of awe. It's not like anyone could've ended the life of a mad god, after all.

At first, he enjoyed it, despite his earlier misgivings about Azura not getting nearly enough credit. Azura did not seem to care one way or another, saying that she was happy with supporting him from the shadows, to which Corrin pursed his lips together, troubled, but the sudden attention began to bother him when he realized that many of the people were so eager to please him, that they would tell him whatever they thought he anted to hear and not the actual truth. Plus, there were some who started to look at him as a god, with even a couple dukes outright saying so.

That troubled him greatly, and out of habit, he rubbed his dragonstone with his thumb, feeling the ethereal flow of power wash over him. The discovery unnerved him, and for the first time in his life, he found himself being unable to fully trust people other than Kaze, Silas, Flora, Felicia, Jakob, and, of course, Azura.

Speaking of which, he saw little of the songstress during those days, which was the be expected, of course, with him travelling across the country speaking with the nobles, but still, there was an unbearable, Azura-shaped hole in his life, but it was worth it every time they stopped in New Gyges to pick up supplies. More often than not, they found themselves crashing their lips together, his hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her close, and her hand on his chest, feeling the constant drumming of his heartbeat. But they were always forced apart by the inexorable march of time. Corrin had to return to the countryside to talk with the nobles, and Azura had to remain in the castle to complete the needed paperwork for the kingdom.

Thankfully, as time dragged on, more and more of the nobles had become more receptive to him, most likely because of words of goodwill passed onto the noble by his brothers. Just as the month gave birth to another, Corrin and his company found themselves standing within the court of their las noble, a daimyo—the Hoshidan equivalent of a duke or duchess—to be exact whose estate was located exactly on the border of New Valla. In front, it would've been possible for one to cross from New Valla into Hoshido simply by crossing the highway.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Jiro," Corrin said, slightly bowing his head. "I look forward to working with you in the future." Normally, he would've bowed, but with his status as the future king of Valla, such an action would've been taken negatively, especially with a noble as presumptuous as Jiro, a large, middle-aged man with the roots of his hair slowly turning gray. Even bowing his head was tantamount to showing weakness but based on what he was told about the man by Kaze, such an action seems polite.

Jiro shook his head, his chin wobbling. "No, I believe I should be the one thanking _you_ , Prince—er, excuse me— _King_ Corrin."

Corrin blinked in surprise. "For what?" he asked, genuinely curious.

A glint sparkled in Jiro's eye as he gestured to one of Corrin's guards standing behind him, a relatively young Hoshidan with his black hair tied in a bun and a scar running down the length of his chin, blinding him in one eye. "For saving my son," Jiro said simply. "I'm…aware of my previous relationships with Nohrians, and though I do not regret such actions, I can see further actions would be…unrewarding, to say the least."

Corrin blinked again in surprise. "What are you saying?" he asked suspiciously.

Jiro shook his head and sighed deeply. "Once upon a time, I would've never trusted a Nohrian, much less one who seemingly came from the shadows, but I cannot ignore the fact that you've saved my son…or at least part of him, anyway."

Jiro suddenly broke out into a deep belly laugh and Corrin's jaw dropped. Behind him, the guard could barely hold back his own laughter as he silently looked at Corrin in the eye. Sensing the unasked question, Corrin made a _go on_ gesture with his head, and the guard promptly broke away from the rest of his unit to stand beside his father, the family resemblance all the more apparent despite the difference in age and weight.

"Because my son is alive, I can promise you that you will have no trouble from either me or any of the other Hoshidan nobles in this area," Jiro said. Then, with another glint in his eye, he added, "And if there is trouble, mark my words, I will be the first one to strike back against those rebellious curs."

Corrin blinked once more, unsure of how to respond before he slowly smiled and nodded his head. "Yes, er, of course. Thank you, Lord Jiro."

Jiro simply shook his head and waved his hands dismissively. "If…if I could ask one more favor of you."

"What is it?"

Jiro glanced at his son, who after his initial outbreak of laughter, had faded into his normal, professional since. "Could…could you allow me to spend time with my son? Ever since he joined the Hoshidan army to fight the Nohrians, I've—"

"Of course," Corrin interrupted, forgetting who he was speaking to for a moment. "I know you must have been concerned for your son's wellbeing, especially after hearing about how we…lost many a good man during our invasion of Valla, and I completely understand your desire to see your son after all this time."

Jiro frowned. "Yes, well, about that invasion of yours…" He leaned in closer to Corrin, who was forced to lean in as well to listen to the daimyo's hushed words.

"I heard about how a Nohrian duke's estate was attacked shortly following your victory in Old Valla," Jiro whispered. "I've…probably sent ninjas to 'check' on them, but that was over three months ago now. They still haven't reported back, and I'm genuinely concerned that something might be wrong over there."

"Where is this Nohrian estate?" Corrin asked.

"Up north, in The Spine, the mountain range that acts as the natural barrier between Hoshido and Nohr," Jiro replied. "The land belongs to a duke named Eliwen, though I heard from my spies that he was recently recovering from an illness."

"You spied on a duke that far away?" Corrin asked, raising an eyebrow. "I hope you know that that part of the land isn't part of New Valla. It's part of Nohr."

"I know," Jiro replied simply. "But according to the spies I sent after the first group failed to return, they saw several Hoshidan ninjas among the estate's residents. _Hoshidan_ ninjas!"

"And?" Corrin asked. "Maybe they were caught but when news of the war ending reached then, maybe they released them?"

"I thought so too as well," Jiro said, rubbing his chin, "but what alarmed me the most was that out of the group of four spies I sent to check on my ninjas' condition, only one lived long enough to return to me and tell me what happened before dying himself."

"'Dying?'" Corrin repeated. "How do you know he wasn't attacked by a wild animal or something on the way back? The Spine is perilous enough without adding in the fact that he most likely travelled across an entire continent."

"She," Jiro corrected, "And…she did, technically."

"What do you mean 'technically?'" Corrin asked, crossing his arms.

Jiro glanced behind himself before whispering, "Before news of the ceasefire reached our ears, some of my men chanced upon a caravan of those undead Vallite soldiers that Lord Ryoma described. The survivors talked about how they saw the undead fight, and what they looked like."

"Describe them," Corrin ordered, frowning.

"Well, one man said they were always invisible. You couldn't see them, but you could _sense_ they were there, or at least that was what he managed to say," Jiro said. "According to the captain, they found a map which had Duke Eliwen's estate circled, but they weren't able to bring it back to me before the map suddenly dissolved into water, along with all the undead."

Corrin's frown deepened and he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I see," he said simply. "Are you saying that Anankos was preparing to attack Duke Eliwen's estate?"

Jiro shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "This all happened roughly one or two months ago."

"I see," Corrin said again. "And what does this have to do with this Eliwen's estate again?"

"Ah, of course!" Jiro said, rubbing his hands together. "So, my men managed to recover a crate of what looked like warp powder, an incredibly rare and potent substance that allowed one to, well, warp anywhere they wanted to. After several test runs over the course of a month or so, I…may have deemed them safe to use, and I allowed my four spies to use them to travel instantly to Duke Eliwen's estate."

"And what did they find?"

Jiro hesitated. "They…they were attacked immediately by both the estate guards and my own ninja," he finally admitted. "According to the survivor, one of her party was killed immediately upon warping and the other two were killed trying to defend themselves. What was interesting though was that the survivor said that all of the enemies looked like their eyes were glowing, but with the state of her injuries, we couldn't tell if she was delirious or not."

Corrin froze. "Did you say that their eyes _glowed_?" he asked, voice barely more than a whisper.

Jiro nodded. "But then again, she was grievously wounded, so we couldn't tell if she was telling the truth or not. I pray not."

Corrin turned away, thinking. He rubbed his chin as his eyebrows furrowed. "That's impossible," he muttered to himself. "We killed Anankos about four months ago. How could his servants still be alive?"

Turning back towards Jiro, he asked, "And when did this happen?"

Jiro blinked, seemingly taken aback by the sudden forcefulness of Corrin's tone. "About three months since I sent the ninja, and two since I sent the spies to check on them. Why?"

"Don't worry about it," Corrin said, brushing aside the noble's question and making him sound brusquer than he intended. Standing back up, he nodded towards Jiro's son, who nodded back.

"If you wish for your son to remain here with you, then so be it," Corrin said formally. "All I ask of you is that you provide more information on this matter as you learn more."

Jiro nodded and swallowed before standing him. He extended a hand towards Corrin, who firmly grasped it.

"Thank you," the older man said. "I will do my best to serve."

Corrin nodded silently but did not respond.

* * *

A/N: God, I hope I didn't mess up the timing in this chapter. Also, shout outs to The Apocryphal One for allowing me to use her characters!


	44. Chapter 41: Heir To A Dead Empire

"Lady Azura? Lord Corrin has returned from his trip," Felicia chirped from behind the door, with only her salmon-colored hair and top of her forehead visible from where she peeked out from behind the door.

Azura looked up from the paper she was reading. "Thank you, Felicia," she said.

The maid nodded again before withdrawing, the clack of her heels slowly fading away as she made her way down the stairwell. Azura took a moment and cocked her head, trying to see if she could hear the inevitable crash which signaled Felicia's characteristic clumsiness.

To her relief—and admittedly surprise— she heard no such sounds, so Azura stood up from where she was sitting at Corrin's desk—he had allowed her to use his workspace as his own—and walked briskly to the door, trying to prevent herself from bounding or skipping as a result of her excitement.

Ever since Corrin's departure, there has been an aching Corrin-shaped hole in her life, and without his constant optimism, adorable dorkiness, gentle voice, and warm hands, Azura found her current everyday life somewhat… _lacking_. Sure, there were some highlights during Corrin's absence, such as her being able to successfully close a deal with Nestra regarding the destruction of Cyrkensia, but without Corrin at her side, she felt…incomplete. Empty.

Blinking away the spots in her eyes as she emerged into the bright sun, Azura rose a hand to shield her eyes from the glare as she spotted a dark blur approaching her. Said dark blur slowly turned into three dark blurs, and those blurs then sharpened into the silhouettes of Corrin, Silas, and Kaze.

Azura could not contain herself any longer, and she recklessly leapt forward, her feet barely touching the ground as she launched herself at Corrin. His eyes widened in surprise and pleasure as her arms wrapped around him, and he was all he could do to keep as balance as the two of them staggered back and forth like a pair of drunk dancers.

Laughing, Azura looked up at him, his hands automatically resting themselves on the small of her back and her hands resting on his chest and shoulder. "Took you long enough!" she chirped as she pecked him on the cheek. In the background, she saw Felicia and Mozu similarly move towards their respective beaus.

"Sorry," Corrin apologized cheekily, complete with that endearing grin to boot. "Apparently, having the future king returning home is a big deal, so Kaze, Silas, and I sort of got held up at the castle gate."

Laughing again, Azura tucked her head against Corrin's, and when they touched foreheads, one thing led to another and before they knew it, they found themselves eating dinner outside of Corrin's study, on his balcony. The setting sun cast a beautiful shadow across Corrin's face, and Azura found herself being distracted by the sight of Corrin more often than not, and when she snuck a glance at him when she knew he wasn't paying attention, it gratified her that he looked at her the same way as well.

Yet despite the cheer, she couldn't help but feel a certain…edge to their normally easy conversation. Though Corrin's voice remained as easy as it always did, and his caresses as gentle as ever, Azura noticed more than once how when he thought she wasn't looking, he would frown and look down at his plate of food, his eyebrows knitting together in a way that Azura knew he was thinking deeply about something. Finally, unable to bear the edge any longer, Azura took Corrin's hand in her own and squeezed it.

"Hey," she called, causing Corrin to look back up at her. She took his hand in her own and squeezed it. "You look distracted. What's wrong?"

Corrin opened his jaw to say something, then closed it, then opened it again before closing it and shaking his head. Azura's eyes narrowed and she dug her nails into the back of his hand.

"What's wrong?" she repeated, this time letting a bit of steel slide into her voice. "You don't normally look this distracted."

She knew she wasn't actually hurting Corrin with her feeble human nails, especially when one considers the fact that she's basically trying to scratch the scales of a dragon, but he still humored her anyways.

"I was talking to Lord Jiro, one of the last nobles on my trip," he admitted. Looking away towards the sunset, the wind rustling his hair.

Azura nodded, making a _go on_ gesture.

"And…he said something that concerned me," Corrin continued. "A lot."

"What did he say?" Azura asked. "I take it the conversation went well?"

"Oh no, it went fantastic," Corrin said mildly. "Apparently, one of the soldiers who survived Valla with us was his son, so he was pretty grateful for that."

"And?" Azura prompted, sensing something more. "Did he give you his support?"

Corrin nodded. "Yeah, which means that since I managed to turn one of the more influential nobles over to our side, it should mean we'll have no more trouble—at least from the Hoshido side of things."

"That's good," Azura noted. "So what are you so upset about?"

"I'm not upset," Corrin retorted mildly. "I…Jiro told me something that makes me feel…afraid."

Azura frowned. Corrin was one of the bravest people she ever knew. It's not as if he willingly chose to fight back against a mad dragon, after all. To have him afraid of something meant that something was _very_ wrong.

She reached over with her other hand and covered his larger hand with hers. "What're you afraid of?" she asked gently. "Are you still on about your father?"

Corrin shook his head, his long white hair swishing back and forth. "No, I've accepted him as who he was a long time ago. It's...just that Jiro said that an estate in Northern Nohr was attacked by what looked like Anankos' servants."

Azura's vision sharpened in on Corrin's concerned face as he looked at her. She squeezed his hand even harder as she said steely-quietly, "Tell me."

And so Corrin told her. He told her about how Jiro sent a group of ninjas, how the Hoshidan daimyo's forces chanced upon a caravan of Vallite puppets ferrying warp powder North, how he spent a month experimenting with it, and how his spies were attacked and killed as soon as they tried to investigate the missing ninjas. Throughout his entire report, Azura's hand slowly whitened as she continued to squeeze Corrin's hand.

Finally, he asked her stop, and Azura looked down in surprise to see the tips of Corrin's fingers turning purple.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, surprised at her sudden strength. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"It's fine," Corrin said, chuckling tiredly. "You didn't mean it."

Azura pursed her lips as she leaned back, arms crossed as she did the math. "We killed Anankos roughly four months ago, and according to Jiro, he sent ninjas to check on a Nohrian manor that was attacked at around the same time. At the same time, he discovered the warp power by attacking some of Anankos' soldiers. That was over three months ago. He sent his spies two months ago, and they were attacked by both the manor guards _and_ Hoshidan ninjas. Is that right?"

Corrin nodded as he idly twirled a knife between his fingers. "Correct," he confirmed. "Normally, this wouldn't concern me, but the sole survivor of the group of spies that Jiro sent out reported that the manor guards and ninja had glowing eyes before she died. And if there's one thing we know about those who possess glowing eyes..."

"It's that they're under the influence of Anankos," Azura finished. "But that's impossible!" she added. "You saw what happened when you killed Anankos! All of his soldiers disintegrated with him."

"Don't you mean when _we_ killed Anankos?" Corrin asked cheekily. "Last I heard, you were fighting just as hard as me or the rest of the army. You have to take _some_ credit for yourself, Azura."

Azura waved aside his objection with a hand. "That's not important right now," she said dismissively. "When the first search party rescued Otis and his group of slaves in Valla, we saw Hans murdering them. _Hans_ , Corrin. The Nohrian executioner—"

"The one I killed myself," Corrin finished. "The one who threw me into the Bottomless Canyon in the first place—yes I know. But that's impossible as well. I _decapitated_ him, Azura. There's no way he could've returned without—"

Suddenly, Corrin's face went slack before he rested an elbow on the table to support his head in his hand. Azura recognized that look. It was a look she had seen many times when Corrin shifted from dorky-cuddly-half-dragon mode into serious-no-nonsense-military-leader mode.

"What's wrong?" she asked, starting to feel tense herself. Her eyes widened as she began to connect to dots.

Corrin grasped her hand in his own as he stared intensely into her eyes. "I remember reading something about bringing the dead back from the void," he said. "They said something about how it was impossible unless the caster wished to snuff their own lives out in the process, but Anankos was already dying when we struck him down, right?"

"Yes," Azura deadpanned. "That's…what it means to kill something. You make them die."

"Yes, yes, but bear with me for a second, Azura," Corrin said, waving his hands to the side. "According to Leo, humans can only cast so many spells in a row before dying or falling unconscious because of the strain magic takes on the body, but Anankos was a god, wasn't he? We don't know if he was bound by the same limits humans are bound to. If not, and if he knew he was dying, how do we know that he didn't use the last of his life force to raise Hans and other people like him from the dead?"

"Corrin…"

Corrin's eye widened. "What happens if he managed to resurrect Garon? Or worse, one of his retainers like Iago or Zola? I mean—"

"Corrin!"

Corrin flinched as Azura yelled his name. She rarely rose her voice at him, so her sudden increase of volume was something unfamiliar to him. "Y-yes?"

Azura sighed, the strand of hair that was always in front of her face blowing to the side as she rose up from where she was sitting on the other side of the table and walked towards him. She rested a hand on his shoulder, noting the unnatural tightness of the tendons there and cupped Corrin's cheek in her palm.

"Don't worry, Corrin," she said soothingly. "If Anankos' influence _is_ still out there, we'll find it and snuff it out for sure this time."

"But how do we know it won't turn out like the past?" Corrin asked. "I mean—"

"Before, Hoshido and Nohr were at war with each other," Azura reminded. "It would've been easy for Anankos to sow chaos, especially since no one other than the surviving Vallites knew of his existence, but now that everyone knows of his crimes, it will be infinitely more difficult for Anankos to manipulate us as he did before. _Plus_ , Hoshido and Nohr aren't at war with each other anymore, remember? _You_ brought the two together Corrin. If Anankos is still out there, we'll find him and end him. Together."

Corrin swallowed as Azura brought his head to her stomach. As Azura twirled the hair at the back of his head around her finger, he mumbled into her stomach, "But what about New Valla? After losing so many the first time we fought Anankos, how do we know that won't happen a second time."

Azura pursed her lips, unsure of how to respond. Unlike Corrin, she was no military strategist. Sure, she knew tactical advantages on the battlefield when she saw them, but most of them were common sense. It doesn't take a grandmaster tactician to see that mounted units would do poorly in heavily forested areas.

"I don't know," she finally admitted. "But like I said, if Anankos is still out there, Hoshido and Nohr will work together with New Valla to end him once and for all. We won't be alone this time, I promise."

Corrin said nothing but allowed himself to bury his head in Azura's arms again as she absentmindedly hummed a tune into his ear.

* * *

Two weeks after Corrin's return to New Gyges, he was coronated in a great square near the center of the fledgling city, in full view of a vast crowd of people, from both Nohr and Hoshido alike. The ancient crown that was once a sign of Vallite royalty had been lost or destroyed years ago, so the finest metalworkers from both Hoshido and Nohr had worked together to create a new crown, wrought from silver and iron with flecks of black obsidian and ebony branching across the surface of the metal. With the circlet itself was nothing special, what _was_ special was how it was forged so that it resembled a dragon's horns, complete with tiny prongs reminiscent of Corrin's whenever he transformed.

The ceremony was simple, but all the more effective because of it. Corrin approached on foot from the direction of the city gate. Corrin had gained two new sets of armor: one for combat, which he could barely hide his sudden distaste for—after everything, it didn't feel right to take up arms again so soon after peace was accomplished—and another fancier, more ceremonial set. The ceremonial set was, like his old armor which he had retired and was currently resting on an armor stand next to Yato and his old blue cape, a suit of form-fitting black and white plates fitted together to resemble the bones or scales of a dragon, but unlike his old armor, the entire suit was a bit bulkier and was tinged sapphire blue and had a rather dashing cerulean cape attached to the back with the national symbol of Valla stitched on the back.

A slow drumbeat sounded as Corrin walked up to the dais that had been erected in the center of the square. Normally, they would've used the one that already existed in the throne room, but centuries of age and disuse meant the stone was cracked and ready to give way, which necessitated the change in location. Azura and Corrin had already ordered stoneworkers to restore the old dais.

On the dais was a an old stone throne, the edges still as rigid and unforgiving as it had been nearly two decades ago. This was the original throne that had rested in Old Valla and had been heavily destroyed during Corrin and a possessed Gunter's fight, though it was mostly Corrin responsible for the minor cracks and chips that pockmarked the ancient throne. Azura and Corrin had discussed at great length over whether or not it was worth the effort to reclaim the ancient throne. Eventually, Corrin said that the throne would serve as a reminder of Valla's old glory, and Azura had agreed, deciding it would hearten the surviving Vallites to see that yet another relic of their past as survived Anankos' wrath.

At the top of the dais, next to throne, stood Azura and Otis, with Elise, Sakura, Takumi, Leo, and the four representatives Xander, Camilla, Hinoka and Ryoma had sent in their place in front of the raised platform. The four elder siblings were unable to attend the coronation, to Corrin's dismay, but he understood their reasons. Xander had to essentially rebuild nearly the Nohrian court, and Ryoma had to soothe the populace. Camilla and Hinoka both had to remain in Hoshido to assist Ryoma with the people, many of whom were still enraged at Queen Mikoto's death and at the fact that Ryoma had brought home with him Camilla, a Nohrian. One of Ryoma's letter that they intercepted hinted at the start of a rebellion growing among the farmers and minor nobles, and Xander and Corrin had immediately sent troops to aid Ryoma.

Corrin ascended the dais, then knelt before Azura. Otis formally presented Azura with the newly made crown, which she placed upon Corrin's head, letting her hands stroke his cheek briefly before withdrawing. As Azura took in a deep breath in preparation of her line, Corrin winked at her and mouthed _You got this!_

Azura couldn't help but smile even as she proclaimed: " _Rise now as king, Corrin, house of Minamoto and Aurelius."_

A fanfare of trumpets rang forth, and the gathered crowd—which had been deathly quiet up until this point—began to cheer. Even Takumi and Leo cracked a rare smile at the sight of their brother standing proudly before the people, his armor and crown glinting in the sunlight. Sakura yelped as Elise pulled her into a merry little dance, and Felicia and Flora both hugged each other tightly before separating in favor of their respective lovers, Silas for Felicia and Jakob for Flora.

Then Corrin sat upon the throne, not bothering the hide the grimace as his back touched the cold stone, or when his arms rested upon the rigid and unforgiving armrests. The representatives came before him and swore their respective nation's allegiance, following by Jiro and the rest of the other nobles Corrin had spoken to during his month-long trek around New Valla, who each pledged the friendship and support of their respective powers.

The event affected Azura strongly, and she found herself holding back tears as she gazed at Corrin sitting regnant on the throne. Only with his coronation did it finally feel as if the specter of Anankos' oppression had begun to recede.

With a small smile and a single tear of happiness rolling down her cheek, Azura silently stepped back into the shadows cast by the castle, content with remaining unseen by the public eye.

Afterward, they feasted, and people from all three kingdoms celebrated throughout the night and into the next day. Azura remembered little of the festivities save for the dance Corrin had roped her into, the ring Silas gave to Felicia at the dawn of the next day, and the four Faceless Leo had magically conjured and ordered to climb a tower along the city wall and there stood blowing horns made from the metal of their masks. At first, people were alarmed, but seeing the admittedly amusing sight of the monsters cavorting among themselves in an ancient Nohrian waltz, their unease soon subsided, until Leo decided to _experiment_ with sake and caused the magical constructs to dissipate into thin air, letting their heavy metal horns falling nearly a hundred feet to the ground below.

Luckily, nobody was hurt, but there was an unsightly hole in the roof of one of the nearby houses. Corrin had been annoyed—mildly furious would've been more honest—but with him already downing several shots of some Nohrian ale himself, he found himself unable to wake the snoring Leo.

The people of the city joined in the celebrations as well, and among them, mostly the Vallites, Azura saw relief and jubilation that the end of the long night has finally come, and that dawn of a new day was beginning. And underlying their emotions, and those of everyone present, was an awareness of the importance of the moment, for they knew they were witnessing the end of one age and the beginning of another.

* * *

A/N: And _that_ is all she wrote. This is the end of Arc 3: Aftermath. Next up, Arc 4: Tales of New Valla!

Apologies if it looked like I brushed over Iago in this chapter, but trust me, you'll see more later on. This fanfic is an absolute blast to write, and I would've never gotten this far without your guy's support. I'll give shout outs at the bottom, but for now, I have some news to tell you.

1) Final exams are coming at the speed of sound, and they have my face plastered all over them. I'll be very inactive for the rest of this month, partially due to said finals and me taking time to plan out the rest of the story. When I first created this story in my head when I was high off of laughing gas following the removal of my wisdom teeth last summer, this was all I planned up to. At first, I wanted to end the story here, but after seeing the pure _fluff_ that Azura x Corrin shippings created, I knew I had to create more, so I did.

2) Unfortunately, I will also be very busy over summer. During summer, not only do I have to deal with marching band camp and college applications (yes, this was all written by a 17 year old), but I will also be out of the country. I'll be going somewhere that is _not_ the U.S. to teach kids english, which means I won't be updating very often, if at all, but don't worry! Even when I'm not writing, I'm thinking of plans for my future chapters and/or works. Trust me, you haven't seen the last of me.

And now shout outs! (I'm really bad at these, simply because of my personality which can make my appreciation towards you guys sound fake or forced, but trust me, you have no idea what your support means to me)

 **Antex-The Legendary Zoroark:** You've been literally nothing but an ever-shining ray of support and optimism for my work, even during some of the more difficult or less well-written chapters. There's nothing I can say to convey my appreciation towards you without sounding like a right d*ck, but when I say "thank you," I mean it. Thank you.

 **TuricumZeta:** Every time I felt like I goofed up on a chapter, you're always there to provide insights and examples on how I _didn't_ goof up. You're a real g.

 **This one guest who gives really good** **criticisms** **but I don't know if it's the same person but I'm going to assume it is because reasons:** Your criticisms and comments are always a blast to read, especially since I know that if I can sway readers who don't always automatically fall in love with a work and provide endless love and support even for more questionable chapters. You always point out some really interesting and tidbits of missed information, and I always try to incorporate your advice into my work. I'd upvote you on reddit if I could, but I don't have it. You're a pog champ.

 **Lopmion-12:** One of my first supporters, it always makes me feel good (sorry if that seems a bit like I'm stroking my own ego) whenever I see a notification on my email and it says that "Lopmion-12 has left a review on..." You're always supportive of my decisions when it comes to my work, and I can say truthfully that had it not been for a few comments of yours in certain critical moments of the story, _FE Fates: A Tale of Two Royals_ would've never come this far.

 **And to everyone else who read up to this point, thank you! (even those of you who skipped to the end. Well guess what? This ain't the end! This is only the beginning!"**


	45. Arc 4: Tales of A New Valla

A/N: Welcome to Arc 4! There's going to be little plot progression here, but where there is, it'll usually be in Interludes or Chapters. See, I have this system. Chapters forward the story while Interludes reveals the inner workings of characters other than the two main royals. And, new to this work as a whole but not to AO3 is this "rating" system I'll be putting at the beginning of each chapter.

This is the system I've decided on:

(G) General: Nothing too risque or explicit. It's usually fluff or simple small talks. Don't expect anything out of the ordinary.

(T) Teen: Much like the ESRB, some references to sexual stuff, but very vague and subtle.

(M) Mature: This is what majority of what Arc 1 and 2 were. There's going to be descriptions of violence and the sexual references are much more obvious now, though there's not going to be any "details." Most of my work so far has been this rating, so everyone reading this should be fine.

(E) Explicit: Is this what you wanted? _Is this what you wanted?_

This first chapter is going to be (G) rated, but in the future, it'll be in the chapter name instead.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of the characters.

* * *

 **Weight of the World**

 _"Welcome to The Yato. What do you what?"_

 _"Whutchu' got?"_

 _"Well, I got pretty much a little bit of everything right now. New shipment, 'cause, you know, that huge coronation party or whatever. Nohrian ale, Hoshidan sake, Vallite beer—you name it, I probably got it."_

 _"Ah. In that case, I'll take a beer. An' make it sharp."_

 _"Tch. You know, I never expected a Hoshidan to actually like this Nohrian stuff."_

 _"I'm not one of those damned rice-farmers. Im'ma Vallite."_

 _"Ah. I see. I'm sorry."_

 _"It's alright, I s'pose. Dunno why people keep saying shit like 'I'm sorry,' or 'Must've been hard on ya,' whenever they find out I'm a Vallite."_

 _"But…sorry if I'm being too forward, but didn't a lot of your people die when that dragon-god thing attacked?"_

 _"If you're referin' to Anankos, then yes. Life was a bitch back then, which made it all the sweeter when Princess Azura rescued us."_

 _"Princess…Azura? Who's she?"_

 _"Are ya' bloody kiddin' me? She's the one who's always stroking that 'King' Corrin's cock! Y'know, the one who always wears a white dress and has long-ass blue hair?"_

 _"Oh_ that's _Lady Azura? I thought she was just his concubine or something."_

 _"Nah, far from it. Listen to this, she's his_ cousin. _"_

 _"…"_

 _"…"_

 _"Okay? And?"_

 _"It means that's only reason why_ he's _gettin' coronated and not her! I don't care how 'close' those two are, but_ she _should be the one sitting on the throne, not him!"_

 _"Hey buddy, you slam that glass onto the table again and it shatters, you're fucking paying for it, alright? Calm down."_

 _"Sorry. I-I don't usually drink this much, but seeing that fool sitting on our princess' throne makes me want to become an alcoholic at times."_

 _"That sounds pretty fucking stupid. And besides, he just got coronated three_ days _ago! Give him a shot before you start frothing at the mouth, will you?"_

 _"Urgh. Just give me another shot, will you?"_

 _"Yeah, okay, no. You're drunk. Go home."_

 _"I said give me—"_

 _"Go. Home."_

" _Give me_ _—"_

 _"Home. Now."_

 _"…"_

 _"…"_

 _"Fucker."_

* * *

"…and, um, would…would you do me the honor by m-marrying me and…and b-becoming my wife?"

The crowd fell silent as they watched Felicia with wide eyes. The pink haired woman's hands moved to cover her mouth as she nodded silently, tears threatening to spill out over lashes. Around her, the very air itself grew cold, and more than a few patrons hastily stepped back, unable to endure more than a few seconds in the freezing air.

"Y-yes!" she finally choked out, continuing to nod. "O-of course I will!"

In a flurry of movement, everyone started clapping and cheering as Silas fluidly rose to kiss his now-fiancé on the lips. Azura could do nothing but clap along happily alongside Corrin, who despite the easy smile on his face, couldn't help feel a twinge of unease at the sight of the golden band gleaming on Felicia's finger.

His smile _was_ genuine, and the sense of happiness was as well, but seeing his best friend proposing already reminded Corrin of the lack of a ring on his own intended. As if sensing Corrin's unease, Azura turned towards him and flashed a brilliant smile.

"You know you don't have to do it in a crowd, you know," she teased, her voice lilting as she pressed herself into Corrin.

Corrin had to concentrate to keep his balance. His head felt heavier with his brand-new crown sitting around his ears, and already he knew he would have to get a smaller circlet like Xander's for practical use.

"Well, how else am I supposed to show the world that I love you?" Corrin teased back, struggling to wipe his face and voice free of unease.

Azura said nothing but bumped her hip into him, causing him to stumble again. "You already did," she giggled. "You trusted in me when I thought nobody else would."

* * *

Upon the dawn of the third week after Corrin's coronation, when the old dais was nearly rebuilt and the city seemed reasonably secure, Azura found herself standing besides Corrin in his study, with Flora and Felicia standing nervously before them.

"Y-you're what?" Felicia stammered as Flora's jaw dropped in shock.

"I'm releasing you from my service," Corrin repeated, dully twirling his crown around his finger. Already, he had started to dislike the weight out the crown and how it threw him off balance whenever he stood up or walked while wearing it.

Azura had received one of her own as well to signify her position as Queen-Consort, though it was nowhere near as flashy or ornamental as Corrin's. Rather, it was simply a silver circlet with snippets of light blue stone—the same shade as Azura's family's hair—twisted throughout. Corrin had already ordered one with a similar design be made for him, though with the blue stone replaced with ebony and the material of the crown resembling gold instead of silver. The smaller crown he would wear for practical purposes while he'll only wear the larger one for ceremonial events.

"B-but what would we be without serving you?" Flora asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. "What would _I_ be?"

Azura shivered involuntarily as she felt the temperature in the room drop by at least a few degrees. Normally, it was Flora who had the problem of unable to control her ice magic when emotionally taxed, but with both twins in the same room, Azura could've sworn she saw a stray tear sliding down Flora's cheek freeze in its tracks.

Corrin grimaced as a sudden gust of wing tousled his hair around. "Can you please let me finish?" he said, almost shouting over the howl of the wind caused by the two maids' despair. "I wasn't done talking yet! The reason I'm releasing you from my service is because I wanted you two to serve as Azura's retainers!"

The wind stopped immediately. Azura looked in surprise at Corrin, her normal calm mask breaking in light of this recent turn of events. "Corrin?" she asked questioningly. "Are you sure?"

"You…you want us to d-do what?" Felicia asked, sniffling.

Shivering, Corrin said, "You two have always been faithful servants of mine, and I cannot in good faith continue to hold you two to myself after Garon's death. So that's why I'm releasing you from my service. If you want to keep serving me for some reason, I'll let it, but please, at least consider my offer first."

Flora glanced at Azura. "B-but I thought she already had one?"

Corrin shook his head and looked towards Azura, silently willing her to speak. Shaking her head and stifling a sneeze in the crook of her elbow, she hastily stammered out, "W-well, I never really had retainers, since I was technically a prisoner while I was in Hoshido, so…"

Corrin gestured towards her. "See?" he said. "The two of you were forced into my service when you were barely older than me. It doesn't feel right to just _give_ away my friends to Azura just because you worked as my maids. I want this decision to be your own, but like I said, if you want to keep working for me, then—"

"I'll be more than happy to serve as Lady Azura's retainer," Felicia said suddenly, clumsily curtsying towards Azura. "T-that is, if she wants me, of course."

"What makes you think I didn't want you under my service?" Azura asked bluntly before realizing her mistake. "N-not saying that I don't, I do, but—"

"What are you saying, Felicia?" Flora interrupted, her tone growing icy cold. "We can't just let our jobs go that easily!"

"It would be rude for us to refuse!" Felicia shot back. "Plus, Azura seems like a nice person. What reason is there for us not getting to know her better?"

As Azura froze, unsure of how to respond, Corrin stepped between the two sisters. "Take your time you two," he said soothingly, "Er—actually take a couple days off or something to think about it. I know this is really big for you two, especially you, Flora, but please, at least consider my offer before you turn it down."

Flora pursed her lips. "Yes, of course, milord. You shall your answer cordially," she said, bowing stiffly alongside her younger twin before they retreated out of the room, the door swinging shut behind them. As soon as the door closed, Corrin sighed and let his crown slip off his finger and onto the desk.

"That…went poorer than you expected," Azura noted dryly as she absentmindedly started massaging Corrin's shoulders. To her concern, though New Valla was officially born three weeks ago, already, Corrin's shoulders were tenser than ever, even when compared to during the war.

"Felicia and Flora are both really good people, I swear," Corrin said tiredly as he rubbed his eyes. "But they honestly sometimes make me want to give them a hug or something just so they know that they're doing a good job. Flora especially. What with her always feeling jealous of Felicia for being to do what she's unable to do, she's wound up tighter than Takumi sometimes."

"That's not being fair to Takumi," Azura scolded gently, playfully braiding the hair on the back of Corrin's head. "I know you two never hit it off, especially when he started to insult both you and me during that dinner, but trust me, he's more bark than actual bite."

"He just happens to carry a bow capable of hurting gods," Corrin chuckled as he snaked an arm around her waist and looked up at her with puppy-dog eyes.

Azura smiled and shook her head as she gently disentangled herself from Corrin's arms. He let her go without hesitation, though the tips of his fingers lingered for a bit longer on her hair.

"That actually reminds me of something," Corrin said as he dug around in his desk for something. "There's something I…something I need to show you. Er—that is, if you have the time tonight."

"Tonight?" Azura asked as Corrin continued to dig through his desk, becoming increasingly flustered as whatever he was searching for refused to appear.

"Y-yeah," Corrin stammered, uncharacteristically nervous as he shoved something into his pocket. "It's in my new room, and I thought you'd like to see it."

"What is it?" Azura asked as she followed Corrin out of his room and down the stairwell.

"I-it's a surprise," Corrin said dismissively—a little bit _too_ dismissively. "Just…promise me you won't get mad when you see it?"

Azura narrowed her eyes in suspicion as the gray stone walls around them changed to the colorful tapestries and open windows around Corrin's private quarters. While Corrin's treehouse had been his "room" during the Invisible War, Leo managed to convince him that having a king sleep in a treehouse would seem somewhat childish, and so Corrin reluctantly agreed to have his belonging moved to a new room.

Azura had only been in it once, and that was before it was filled with Corrin's belongings, so even she didn't know what to expect as she stepped into the room, Corrin holding the door open for her.

The first thing she noticed was the large window peering out over the castle. The second thing she noticed was the large and cushiony bed positioned right in the middle of the room. Like Corrin's study, his private quarters also had a door leading outside to a balcony, and it was then that Azura's gaze was drawn to what Corrin was evidently excited to show her: a grand piano.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, stepping over to it, running an appreciative eye over it. "It's…beautiful."

The piano was black, its surface shiny and free of marks. Azura slowly approached the instrument, marveling at its beauty, stopping a meter or so away from it. As she was about to run a finger over the black casing, she felt Corrin's hand wrap around her wrist. Surprised, she looked up to see Corrin clutching some sheets of paper to his chest.

"Um, please don't smudge the piano," he said timidly, as if afraid of angering her. "It's…pretty new."

"When did you even get this?" Azura asked. "And more importantly, how did you afford it? We can ill afford wasting New Valla's money on things as luxurious as this, so—"

"I thought you said you wouldn't get mad!" Corrin protested feebly. "A-and besides, it was on sale!"

"For how much?" Azura asked in disbelief. "I doubt brand new grand pianos grow on trees."

"It was only a couple thousand gold! And I bought it with my own money too!" Corrin explained as he set the sheets of paper—sheet music, she realized—down on the stand.

"How?" Azura asked, still unable to wrap her head around the fact that Corrin had seemingly managed to procure a piano out of thin air and move it into his room, all without her knowing. "When?"

"Remember how we would always find those bullions or piles of gold during battles?" Corrin asked. "Well, I sort of…saved them up for this."

"Why'd you get it?" Azura asked, shaking her head in exasperation though there was still something charming to see Corrin so flustered and excited at the same time.

"Remember how I told you I played the piano back in the Northern Fortress?" Corrin asked, sitting down in front of the piano and laying his long, slender fingers atop the keys. He played a few notes experimentally and the notes rang out, loud and clear.

 _D flat, B minor, C, and A,_ Azura noted absentmindedly out of habit as she nodded. "You said you were pretty good at it, or that was at least what you told me," she said.

"Yeah, well, I couldn't have my old piano transported here exactly, so I decided to, you know, get another one," Corrin admitted sheepishly. "And I haven't exactly been keeping up with my skills, but still I…I was hoping to do a duet… with you?"

Azura rose an eyebrow curiously as she looked at the sheet music over Corrin's shoulder. At the top was the title " _The Weight of the World."_ Her eyebrows then lifted in shock as she read the name of the composer.

"Tatsuya Shigure?" she said in surprise. Looking at Corrin, she asked, "Where did you get this?"

Tatsuya Shigure was famous Nestrian composer, known for being the illegitimate son between a Nohrian duchess and a young Hoshidan ninja that died very soon later on in the war. Of course, neither countries had taken a liking to the birth and attempted to assassinate both mother and child, but the duchess managed to escape to Nestra where upon she died of her injuries.

Once he became of age, Tatsuya Shigure tried to join the Nohrian army, only to be rejected and left dirt poor in the poorest of Nohr's cities. Left with no other choice, he travelled to Hoshido where he fell in love with the beautiful landscape there. At the same time, he remained an avid fan of Nohrian motifs of strength and solidity. Using the two styles, he created a unique blend of work that sounded both Nohrian and Hoshidan, despite the two entirely different cultures.

Tatsuya's work was known for advocating peace between the two nations, utilizing instruments from both countries. Of course, while people at first looked down on his work as an abomination, they slowly began to warm up to it, to the point where he personally performed in front of the royals of both Hoshido and Nohr at a peace summit. Eventually, however, those who opposed peace sought out his life, and two months after his performance in front of the royals in at the peace summit, Tatsuya Shigure was found floating belly up in a lake south of Shirasagi.

He was only twenty-three years old when he died.

After his death, his enemies convinced both countries to do everything they could to hunt down and destroy his works…and destroy them they did. Those found with Tatsuya's work were summarily executed in Nohr and sentenced to life-imprisonment or slavery in Hoshido. Nowadays, it was extraordinarily rare to chance upon any of Tatsuya's work, much less the only song he ever wrote that was meant for a piano duet.

Corrin sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "It's a pretty long story, if I'm being honest. Basically, I found this old merchant selling music all the way back when I visited Hoshido for the first time. I had some gold, and he was desperate, so I got this song and a couple others for…around forty or fifty gold, I'd reckon."

"He _sold_ you one of Tatsuya's work for _fifty gold_?" Azura asked, her eyes wide. She gestured down to the aged yellowed sheets, shaking her head, unable to form the words she wanted to say. Finally, she said, "Do you know how much one of his works usually go for? In the millions, Corrin! _In the millions!_ And you've been keeping it to yourself the entire time?"

Corrin grinned sheepishly as he shrugged. "Eh, sort of?" he said helplessly as Azura shook her head in disbelief.

"I can't believe you've done this," she said in defeat. "You never cease to amaze me, Corrin."

"I know," Corrin said smoothly as he rolled his shoulders back in preparation to play. "So, do you want to? T-to do a duet with me?"

"I would like nothing else," Azura said, smiling as she positioned herself behind Corrin's shoulder so she could read off the paper.

Then he began to play.

Azura had no lyrics to sing in the first few measures, so she simply watched Corrin's fingers move gracefully over the ivory keys. He plays beautifully—Azura notes—though his shoulders were oddly tense but Azura paid no further heed to him as the music began to wash over her. The first few notes were long and held out, with a definite air of sadness behind them, but also with a sense of purpose and acceptance as well. The combination was…odd, to say the least, yet Azura found this feeling to be…familiar, for lack of a better word.

As the music flourished and additional notes and rhythms entered, Azura opened her mouth to break into melodic verse.

* * *

" _I feel like I'm losing hope_

 _In my body and my soul_

 _And the sky, it looks so ominous_

 _And as time comes to a halt_

 _Silence starts to overflow_

 _My cries are inconspicuous_

 _[...]_

 _Tell me why are you punishing me?_

 _Is this the price I pay for my past mistakes?_

 _This is my redemption song_

 _I need her more than ever right now_

 _Can you hear me now?_

 _[...]_

 _Cause if I'm going to shout aloud,_

 _I'm going to do so by myself!_

 _I'll carry the weight of the world_

 _I wish that someway, somehow_

 _That I could save either one of us_

 _But is truth is that I'm only one man_

 _Maybe if I keep believing_

 _Her dreams will come to life_

 _Come to life…"_

* * *

Azura's eyes shot open as she felt Corrin's hands on her shoulders as he stood up to face her. The piano fell silent as Azura stared at Corrin in confusion before he opened his mouth and began to _sing_ right alongside her, his deeper voice in perfect harmony with hers. Her eyes automatically slid shut as she pressed her head into his chest, taking in his scent and enjoying his sudden closeness as the two of them sang together.

* * *

 _After all the laughter fades_

 _Signs of life washed away_

 _I can still feel your arms on me_

 _No matter how hard I pray_

 _Signs of death still remain_

 _And life has become my enemy_

 _[...]_

 _Tell me why are you punishing me?_

 _Is this why you took her away from me?_

 _This is my end_

 _I need her more than ever right now_

 _Can she hear me now?_

 _[...]_

 _Cause I'm going to shout aloud_

 _Even if my words seem meaningless_

 _I'll carry the weight of the world_

 _On my own_

 _I wish that I could save her and myself_

 _But the truth is that she's only one girl_

 _[...]_

 _Still, she's going to shout aloud_

 _Even if my words seem meaningless_

 _You are the weight of my world_

 _I hope that someday, somehow,_

 _I can save both of us_

 _But the truth is that I'm one man,_

 _Maybe if I keep believing our hopes will come alive_

 _Come alive…_

* * *

Azura chose to hold out the final note for eight whole breaths instead of the six written on the sheet music. Corrin did the same, though towards the end of the note, his tone started to waver. Her fingers tighten on the fabric of Corrin's tunic as he voice died and her eyes slid open, a smile breaking out on her face as she pulled herself away from their embrace.

"That was beautiful, Corrin," she said as she looked at the sheet music, habitually looking for places where she made mistakes in her performance. "I never thought you would be one to have a singing voice, yet—"

Silently, Corrin dropped to a knee and pulled out a small velvet box. After a split-second of struggling, he finally managed to open the box to present a beautiful ring made of black onyx and white diamonds, complete with an azure sapphire embedded on top in the middle of the band.

The head glistened brightly in the setting sun as Azura's hands move to cover her mouth of their own accord. All the breath exits her body in a quiet little gasp only to be replaced with this light-headed feeling akin to when she sang for too long without taking a moment to rest, but _this_ feeling actually made her feel like she was rising up into the heavens with how _happy_ she felt at the sight of Corrin kneeling before her.

He swallows, evidently nervous as he blurts out, "A-Azura, I just…really love you, and w-when I saw Silas proposing to Felicia d-during my coronation, I just found that I c-couldn't really wait any longer, so I felt now would b-be a good time. A-At first I thought about w-writing a poem to you like how we d-did a year or so ago, but I thought you wouldn't like that since I d-did it before already…and then I thought about writing a song for you, e-except I didn't know how to write, I only knew how to play, b-but then I thought back to h-how I bought this music i-in Hoshido and a-after playing through it a-a few times in my spare time, I-I knew it was perfect and all I'm just trying to say is that I love you and that you are the weight to my world. Would…will you please marry me? W-Will you please honor me by staying by my side as my wife and my other half, and not simply as my lover or best friend anymore? Will you please marry me?"

Tears sprung up in the corners of Azura's eyes as she nodded tearfully, unable to hold back her emotions any longer. "Yes!" she gasped, wondering if _this_ was the reason why the word _breathless_ was created. "Yes, of course! Yes yes yes! I love you, Corrin! I love you! Yes!"

Corrin blinked in what looked like surprise before he hugely exhaled, partly in relief, and partly in happiness. He shakily took her extended right hand and slipped the onyx-diamond ring onto her finger.

"Oh my gods," he breathed, suddenly dizzy now that the deed was done. "I-I mean, I felt like that whole song proposal thing was a bit unoriginal for some reason, and that it felt really cheesy or cliched or—"

"It was flawless," Azura said, smiling wider than she ever had in her entire life. "It was perfect, Corrin. Now get up here."

He rises obligingly before meeting her needing lips with his own wanting set. As he dipped her low, Azura catches the sight of her new ring gleaming on her finger in the sunset, and smiles.

* * *

A/N: Hate how you can't have an empty line between paragraphs for songs because is mean. :( Also wanted to have the title of this chapter actually be the titles, but because this is the start of a new arc, guess not.

Also, the song name is, unsurprisingly, "Weight of the World," from NieR: Automata, with only minor alterations to the lyrics. Props to the original creators of this song and Yoko Taro for creating this definitive form of artwork of a game.

Also sorry but not sorry about reusing The Apocryphal One's work again, but I hope I changed up enough things about the whole interaction that it still feels original.


	46. (T) Happiest Day

" _Welcome to The Yato, how can I—oh, it's you again."_

 _"Huh? What d'you mean it's 'me again?' I don' think I've met you before."_

" _You came in during the coronation, got drunk, shattered one of my cups, and then started ranting about how Lady Azura should've been the one sitting on the throne instead of Lord Corrin."_

" _Oh. Y-yeah, I sorta remember now."_

" _If you're here to get drunk and smash stuff and rant again, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. This business is still pretty new and I don't need your antics to drive away potential customers."_

" _Speakin' o' which, I'mma bit surprised to see a bar already built and running in this city."_

" _It was actually my father's greatest dream, you see. He always wanted own a business to call his own, and he always was a fan of alcohol, so when he…passed, I decided to open up The Yato for him."_

" _Ah. I see. But why 'The Yato?' Could'ja have chosen a more illness-inducing name?"_

" _Watch it, buddy. Just because_ you _don't like our king doesn't mean he didn't do anything for us. Or did you forget that he killed the god terrorizing your people and was forced to choose between Hoshido or Nohr?"_

" _What's up with tha' anyways? Never really got it."_

" _Oh, just a bunch of political bull. Apparently, Lord Corrin was Queen Mikoto's son, but the Nohrians kidnapped him. Yada yada—fast-forward a couple years, Lord Corrin gets kidnapped_ back _by the Hoshidans and he's basically forced to choose between saving his birth country and his home country."_

" _Ah. That's…that's pretty fucking brutal."_

" _Yeah, it is. Good thing everything turned out well enough though, huh?"_

"… _I guess. Still pisses me off tha' she's not sitting on the throne."_

" _Are you really still on that? And if you're just gonna stand around in my bar and take up space, you might as well leave."_

* * *

 **Happiest Day**

The news of Corrin's proposal to Azura spread like wildfire across the land, and by the end of the week, Corrin and Azura has already received letters of congratulations on their engagement to each other. Ryoma, Leo, and Xander's were all formal, as expected, while Camilla's had been teasing. Both Corrin and Azura could _feel_ the excitement in Sakura and Elise's letters, while Takumi's had been curt and sounded like it had been forced, to neither of their surprise.

"Typical," Corrin said, shaking his head as he leaned back in the chair placed in his bedroom. "Why is it every time we decide to further our relationship, _everyone_ gets excited?"

"Because," Azura said from where she was standing on the balcony, "royal weddings are often seen less as a personal binding and more of a political one. Look at Ryoma and Camilla, for example. Their marriage to each other could be the first step of many on the path of mending the relationship between Hoshido and Nohr."

"But this isn't political though!" Corrin complained, pouting as he snapped his book closed. "I wanted to marry you because I _love_ you, Azura! Not because of—I don't know—not because I wanted to stop a war or something from happening!"

Azura smiled and blushed red as she glanced down at the black-and-white ring around her right hand. "I know," she said simply. "And I love you too, Corrin, but you can't just expect people to forget something that's basically the norm right now, at least in the upper classes."

"I know…" Corrin replied, sighing in exasperation. "But if only…"

The two of them slowly fell back into a comfortable silence, Corrin opening his book back up to continue reading while Azura continued standing silently on the balcony, looking over the city. Corrin glanced at Azura over the top of the book, and as usual, he found himself being _drawn_ towards her. Her slim figure, her radiating beauty, the demure way she tucked her hair behind her air—everything about her in that moment was perfect.

Corrin's eyes flicked down to his book as Azura glanced towards him, smiling. "You know I know when you're looking at me, right?" she asked coyly.

"N-no," Corrin stammered. "I-I mean yes. Yes, of course I do. You…know everything about me."

"Mmhmm."

Azura looked back out at the city— _their_ city. "Do you think we're ready?" she asked.

"Ready for what?" Corrin replied, looking back up from his book. "Kids?"

"Oh gods no!" Azura blurted, covering her mouth with her hand in embarrassment. "I would _love_ to have some little ones to call our own with you, Corrin, but I don't think I'm ready for that yet. Physically _or_ emotionally. Plus, we're not even married yet. Don't you think it's a bit soon for that anyways? I was just talking about whether or not we're ready to get married to each other."

"Oh. Why not?" Corrin asked. "I mean, it's been almost a year since we finished off Anankos, city's looking good, the people are happy, and all of the paperwork regarding your abdication has been pretty much processes at this point. At this point, the only thing we need to do is make sure Hoshido and Nohr don't go to war with each other again."

"I know," Azura admitted, shyly rubbing her arms. "But I mean, it's only been a week since you proposed to me, but plans haven't been made yet, and there's still a lot of things that needs to happen before we can even think about actually doing the whole marrying thing."

Corrin blinked in surprise at her sudden outpour and rose up from is his chair to walk over to her and rest his hands on her shoulders. "Hey," he said gently, squeezing her shoulders. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Azura said, shaking her head. "I'm…just still surprised that you managed to pull this off."

"Pull what off?" Corrin asked innocently. "Killing Anankos, falling in love with you, and rebuilding your kingdom? I mean, if not me, who else?"

Azura chuckled as she turned around and threw her hands around Corrin's neck. "Exactly," she said, her voice muffled by Corrin's hair and neck. "I…I never thought I would ever live to see such a future, one where I could be freed from all my past torments—much less to actually play a part in it, however small."

"Aw, don't say that," Corrin said comfortingly as he gently rubbed the back of Azura's head. He pulled her closer to him, wanting to envelope her body with his own. "You did a lot, Azura, trust me. If anything, you were probably braver than me. You had to deal with the knowledge of Anankos and Valla by yourself for almost your entire life! I just had to deal with it for a short two years."

"Only because you were locked up somewhere in Nohr," Azura said bitterly. "And…I don't know, Corrin. For some reason, it doesn't seem right for us to be worrying about our marriage while Anankos' servants are still out there."

Corrin nodded and pursed his lips, remembering back to his conversation with Jiro regarding the attack on that Nohrian manor. "I know," he said simply. "I feel the same way too, but right now, Azura, we can't afford to go after him. Relationships between Hoshido and Nohr are still being worked out right now, Azura, so I doubt they'll take kindly to us just marching in take care of a few Hoshidan ninjas that suddenly decided to fight for the Nohrians."

Azura smirked. "I thought you were supposed to be the optimistic one?"

"I am!" Corrin replied. "But I can also see when you're worrying too much about something, and you always do this things where, like, you cross your arms together but really loosely, so that you look like you're always really displeased about something but you're really not because you're actually just really worried and you don't want other people to see you like that."

Azura looked down to see if Corrin spoke the truth. He did.

"Yes, well, that's because it's our _job_ to be worried," she said calmly. "If the new King and Queen of Valla spends all their time cavorting about, then we're not really doing our jobs right, now are we?"

" _New_ Valla," Corrin corrected immediately. "And yes, you are right, but you also have to remember, Azura, you're not alone anymore! You're the Queen! People love you! You don't need to worry about doing everything by yourself anymore because you have us! You have _me_!"

"You know I'm not kind of person, Corrin," Azura said quietly as she rubbed her arms, cold when a sudden gust of wind blew past, causing her hair to scatter around her. "You know how I am. You know what kind of person I am."

"I know, and I love every part of that," Corrin said promptly. He took her chin gently in his hand and looked at her in the eyes. "I love every part of you, and if I need to pick up Yato again and kill Anankos all the way over again for you, I will. Because I love you, Azura…and nothing can change that."

Azura wasn't sure what to make of that at first, so she simply stood there, rubbing her arms together and eyes flickering between the floor and Corrin's warm smile as he held her. When he pressed his lips to her temple, however, that was when she knew what to do.

She raised herself up on her tippy-toes and kissed him sweetly, once, on the nose.

"Thank you for saying that to me," she said lovingly. "And…and I'll try to open myself up to you—and to other people—in the future."

His smile somehow became even warmer. "That's the best thing you've ever said to me. Except when you told me that you loved me. And when you said you liked the way how I looked in my new armor. Or when you accepted my proposal."

She slapped his chest playfully as she pushed him away gently. "You're so cheesy sometimes, you," she scolded playfully, unable to repress her laughter.

Corrin laughed too, and together, the sounds of their mirth drifted over the city.

* * *

Five months later, Silas stood on the crest of a low hill dotted with white and blue wildflowers.

Surrounding the hill was a lush meadow that bordered the nearby river, which rushed past a hundred feet to Silas' right. The sky was bright and clear; sunshine bathed the land with a soft radiance. The air was cool and calm and smelled fresh, as if it had just rained.

Gathered in front of the hill were remaining members of Corrin's army that had ventured into Valla alongside their fearless leader in what felt like an eternity ago. Not only did many of them wish to do their duty on this fateful day, but they also served another purpose—separating the rabble from the noble. Many of soldiers held long spears mounted with embroidered pennants of every color—and despite their ceremonial appearance, Silas knew they were just as sharp as any sword or spear.

Wind tousled Silas' hair, which was still somewhat damp from washing, though that ever-so-familiar cowlick refused to go down, despite the event. A sharp _clack_ of heels behind him told him about Felicia's and her sister's approach, and he turned his head slightly to flash a smile at the salmon-haired woman that was his wife.

The maid smiled back in return before whispering something to Flora. Apparently satisfied by whatever Flora whispered back to her, the pink-haired woman all but bounced over to Silas, unable to keep her excitement in check.

"Are you ready?" she asked cheerfully, habitually running an eye over Silas' form to look for any imperfections in the knight-turned-retainer's attire.

"Of course I am," Silas replied, raising an eyebrow cockily for added humor. "After our own wedding, this is nothing!"

Under normal circumstances, Silas would have been nervous about standing in front of so many people and performing such a solemn and important ceremony, but following his own wedding to Felicia two months prior, everything since had assumed an air of unreality and bliss, as if it were no more than a particularly vivid dream.

Felicia rested the flat of her palm of Silas' chest, who made no effort to hide the shiver running through his body when the tip of her finger touched his bare neck.

"Well, you better stay on your best behavior," she scolded playfully. "Lady Azura was _not_ in a good mood this morning."

"What's wrong? Morning jitters?" Silas asked in a teasing voice, winking. "Was it anything like yours?"

Felicia blushed furiously at the memory of her own wedding day nervousness. "That's different!" she said, pouting. "I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I was going to marry you! I still am!"

Chuckling, Silas interrupted her with a chaste kiss on her lips before standing back up to his full height. "I think you better get back to your sister," he said seriously. He gestured towards the raising of a yellow flag at the base of the hill—the signal that the ceremony had finally begun. "I think the wedding's getting started."

Felicia nodded as she saw the signal, and after returning a quick peck on Silas' cheek, she joined her sister at the base of the hill, along with everyone who had served in Corrin's elite guard.

Upon hearing of Corrin and Lady Azura's betrothal to each, each and everyone of their friends had quickly rushed to New Gyges for the wedding. Ryoma and Hinoka were both absent, as the situation in Hoshido proved to be more serious than they had first appeared, though Camilla and the king's new retainer—a sharp-eyed young man going by the name of Sun Tian—was attending in his stead. Kagero had abruptly retired following the end of the war, expressing a newfound desire to pursue a career in art. Hana was absent as well, as her pregnancy left her unable to travel easily to the wedding, though she had written a letter to Corrin and Lady Azura expressing her congratulations to them.

With a rustle of cloth, the crowd assembled before them parted, forming a long, open path from the hill to the edges of the crowd. Then, joining their voices, the Vallites began to sing the ancient wedding songs of Valla. The well-worn verses spoke of the cycle of the seasons, of the warm earth that gave birth to new crop each year, of the spring calving, of nesting robins and spawning fish, and of how it was the fate of the young to replace the old. Elise and Sakura quietly withdrew a violin and koto, respectively, from a velvet case and accompanied the crowd with notes of their own, embellishing upon the simple themes of their melodies, lending the ancient songs a wistful mood.

With slow steady steps, Corrin and Lady Azura emerged from either side of the crowd at the far end of the path, turned towards the hill, and, without touching, began to advance towards the altar. Corrin wore a tunic of white and black, with a vest of gold and a cape of white around his shoulders and touching the ground. However, it was Lady Azura who commanded Silas' attention—and that of everyone as well. Her dress was the traditional white, except for some light blue highlights, as was traditional of a bride at her first wedding. The dress was of a simple cut but with a lace train that was nearly twenty feet long and carried by two girls. Against the pale fabric, her hair flowed freely, shining with an almost unnatural brightness under the sun. Her shoulders and upper arms were left bare, and there was a circlet of flowers arranged painstakingly in her hair. She was proud, serene, and beautiful.

Silas heard gasps from some of the women, including Felicia, as they beheld Lady Azura's train. Three paces behind Corrin walked Xander, and at a similar distance behind Azura walked Camilla, walking careful to avoid stepping on the train.

When Corrin and Azura were halfway to the hill, a pair of white doves flew out of the willow trees lining the river. The doves carried a circlet of what looked like flowers, except they appeared to be made out of snow. The birds themselves looked as if they were made out of snow as well, and as they winged their way towards Corrin and Lady Azura, the couple slowed. The birds circled her three times, north to east, and then dipped down and laid the circlet upon the crown of her head before returning to the river.

 _Did you do that?_ Silas mouth towards Felicia.

His wife shook her head. _Flora_ , she mouthed back, gesturing towards her twin with her head. Indeed, the blue-haired maid seemed rather pleased with herself as she subtly squeezed Jakob's hand.

At the top of the hill, Corrin and Azura stood motionless before the priest while they waited for the villagers to finish singing. As the final refrain faded into oblivion, the priest raised her hands and said in a deep voice, "Welcome, one and all. Today we have come together to celebrate the union between the families of Corrin Aurelius and Minamoto and Azura Rheos. They are both of good reputation, and to the best of my knowledge, no one else has a claim upon their hands. If that not be the case, however, or if any other reason exists that they should not become man and wife, then make your objections known before these witnesses, that we may judge the merit of your arguments." The priest paused for an appropriate interval, then continued. "Who here speaks for Corrin Aurelius and Minamoto?"

Xander stepped forward. "Corrin has neither father nor uncle, at least not by blood, so I, Xander Aurelius, speak for him as my blood."

"And who here speaks for Azura Rheos?"

Camilla stepped forward. "Azura has neither mother nor aunt, at least not by blood, so I, Camilla Aurelius speak for her as my blood." At first, both Corrin and Azura had been concerned that having two Nohrian royals to represent each other would make it seem as if they were favoring Nohr, but Jiro, Ryoma, and many others of Hoshidan heritage said that they truly did not care, and that it was expected for them to connect more readily with their Nohrian roots than with their Hoshidan ones, considering how both of them saw their Hoshidan roots as less than roots and more as cell bars.

"It is right and proper then," the priest said. "What, then, does Corrin Aurelius and Minamoto bring to this marriage, that both he and his wife may prosper?"

"He brings his kindness," Xander declared. "He brings his faithfulness. He brings the strength of his hands and his kingdom behind him. And he brings the promise of a happy life and marriage in New Valla, where they may both live in peace and happiness."

"Do you accept his offer, Camilla Aurelius?" the priest asked.

Camilla nodded. "I do."

"And what does Azura Rheos bring to this marriage, that both she and her husband may prosper?"

"She brings her love and devotion, with which she shall serve Corrin Aurelius and Minamoto. She brings her skills at running a household. And she brings with her the most sacred gift a Rheos could ever offer—her pendant."

Astonishment rippled through the crowd. Many knew by now of Azura's pendant and the cost it took on her body, despite her initial shyness. She was now declaring, in the most publicly and binding way possible, that after all these decades of slaving away under the pendant, that the Rheos were now giving their burden away to one not of their own.

"Do you accept this offer, Xander Aurelius?"

"I do."

"Thus your families become one, in accordance with the law of the land and gods."

Azura flinched subtly.

Then, for the first time, the priest addressed Corrin and Azura directly: "Those who speak for you have agreed upon the terms of your marriage. Corrin, are you pleased with how Xander Aurelius has negotiated on your behalf?"

"I-I am."

"And, Azura, are you pleased with how Camilla Aurelius has negotiated on your behalf?"

"I do. I-I mean I am."

"Corrin Aurelius and Minamoto, son of Mikoto, do you swear then, by your name and by your lineage, that you shall protect and provide for Azura Rheos while you both yet live?"

"I, Corrin Aurelius and Minamoto, son of Mikoto, do swear, by name and by my lineage, that I will—I mean I shall—I shall protect and provide for Azura Rheos while we both yet live."

"Do you swear to uphold her honor, to remain steadfast and faithful to her in the years to come, and to treat her with proper respect, dignity, and gentleness?"

"I swear I will uphold her honor, remain steadfast and faithful to her in the years to come, and to treat her with proper respect, dignity, and gentleness."

"And do you swear to give her the keys to your holdings, such as they may be, and to your strongbox where you keep your coin, by sunset tomorrow, so she may tend to your affairs as a wife should?"

Corrin swore that he would.

"Azura, daughter of Theophilus, do you swear, by your name and by your lineage, that you shall serve and provide for Corrin Aurelius and Minamoto while you both yet live?"

"I, Azura, daughter of Theophilus, swear, by my name and by my lineage, that I shall serve and provide for Corrin Aurelius and Minamoto while we both yet live."

"Do you swear to uphold his honor, to remain steadfast and faithful to him in the years to come, to bear his children while you may, and to be a caring mother for them?"

"I swear I shall uphold his honor, remain steadfast and faithful to him in the years to calm, bear his children while I may, and be a caring mother to them—for them."

"And do you swear to assume charge of his wealth and his possessions, and to manage them responsibly, so he may concentrate upon cuties that are his alone?"

Azura swore she would.

Smiling, the priest drew a red ribbon from his sleeve and said, "Cross your wrists together please, your highnesses." Corrin and Azura extending their left and right arms, respectively, and did as the man instructed. Laying the middle of the ribbon around their wrists, the priest wound the strip of satin three times around and then tied the ends together with a bowknot. "By the law of the land, and by the will of the gods, I now declare you man and wife!"

The crowd erupted into cheers. Leaning toward each other, Corrin and Azura kissed, and the crowd redoubled their cheering.

In the crowd, a hooded figure drew his cloak tighter around himself, a grim smile on his face before turning around and trudging away. "Live long, Corrin, and may your love deepen with every passing year," Gunter muttered formally before disappearing into the crowd.

Corrin and Azura turned towards the crowd and raised their joined arms skyward. "Let the feast begin!" Corrin declared.

Silas followed the pair as they descended from the hill and walked through the press of shouting people toward two chairs that had been set at the forefront of a row of tables. There Corrin and Lady Azura sat, as the king and queen of both their wedding and New Valla.

* * *

Hours passed as Corrin and Azura laughed and ate and drank and traded stories with friends. Wine flowed like water, and the wedding feast became ever more boisterous. Clearing a space between the tables, the men tested their prowess against one another with feats of archery and bouts with quarterstaffs, Laslow and Odin demonstrated their skill with swordplay—awing the onlookers with the sheer speed, grace, fluidity, and ferocity of their dancing blades.

Leo, in particular, was surprised to see Odin's skill with a Hoshidan katana. The trio had already explained the situation to them, yet even Leo never thought Odin to be the one to match Laslow's speed and fluidity with his own ferocity and unpredictability. It was with interest he noted how similarly Odin's fighting style matched that of the Hoshidans', despite being from another world.

Xander was surprised as well. As Laslow's—or Inigo's, rather—sword flashed in the sunlight, he recalled the first time he had dueled his friend. It as a hard bout, one of the most difficult in his life, to be sure, and yet Laslow had only shown the mere tip of the iceberg. Had the gray-haired man wanted, he could've defeated Xander in less than a few seconds, and coming from a man who had no formal tutoring, such a feat was worthy of a bard's tale in of itself.

Elise and Sakura work together in unison, creating a beautiful medley of Hoshidan and Nohrian music that blended the best parts of both cultures. It's a strange yet oddly beautiful symphony, and even the most die-hard of Nohrian or Hoshidan haters found themselves bobbing along to the beat of the music.

Azura and Corrin, of course, gets the first dance, and everybody laughs in joy when they see Azura, who was normally the quiet, demure, and reclusive one, utterly dominate Corrin in their intricate footwork. Soon enough, however, the guests slowly start filling in the dance floor, though they kept a respectable distance away from the newly-wedded couple.

Silas hissed in poorly disguised pain when Felicia's foot stamped down on his toes, and she immediately backed away.

"Oh! Did I hurt you?" she asked worriedly.

"Only a little bit," Silas admitted, though he shot her a small grin to make her feel better. "But don't worry. After that whole stint in Old Valla, I'm pretty sure even you can't compare to it."

Felicia pouted and slapped her husband's chest before resting her cool cheek on where she slapped him. "You're the worst, you know that?"

Silas chuckled and tightened his grip on his shoulder and hip, bringing her closer to him. "And you're the best."

* * *

Kaze, ever the observant ninja that he was, did not miss the fact that while the smile on Mozu's face was genuine, the frustrated scowl whenever she missed a step was equally so. And then he starts noticing other things about her, like how stiff her back was, or how tightly she gripped her shoulders and hand whenever they spun.

"What's wrong?" he asked in his smooth voice.

"Nothing," Mozu lied, despite knowing it would do nothing to fend off her beau. She glanced towards a group of haughty looking women laughing together, and Kaze's eyes narrowed as he realized that they seemed to be laughing towards _her_.

"Is that so…" he mused before suddenly sweeping Mozu off her feet.

Mozu yelped in surprise and giddiness, and before she knew it, her eyes widened when she felt Kaze's lips upon her own. Breaking off and gasping for breath, she looked at Kaze in confusion.

"What was that for?" she asked.

Kaze said nothing but merely smiled and gestured with his head towards where the group of bullying women were. To Mozu's surprise—and secretly, satisfaction—all of the haughty women's jaw dropped as they realized just who the target of their bullying were.

Just as quickly, however, the group bustled away, doing their best to avoid eye contact with Mozu and Kaze, who, if possible, wore an even bigger smile of satisfaction on his face. Looking back up at Kaze, Mozu could feel nothing except the warmth of this sun in her chest as Kaze kissed her again.

* * *

"C'mon, Laslow! Why aren't you dancing!" Peri asked as she tried to pull her husband along.

Laslow tugged nervously at his shirt collar as he glanced at the stump where Peri's right leg was supposed to be.

"Why are _you_ dancing?" he retorted. "And how are you even pulling me when you're missing a leg?"

Oops.

Peri froze at his words before she suddenly went slack, almost causing Laslow to fall. Realizing his mistake, he wrapped his arms around Peri and offered soft, cooing words of comfort into his wife's ear.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I forgot how much you hated your…how much you hated _it_."

Peri said nothing but merely rubbed at her eyes with her sleeve, sniffling.

Corrin grimaced as he squeezed her even tighter. _Oh, you damn fool_.

Pressing a kiss to her cheek, he said, even softer, "Please don't cry, Peri. If it makes you feel better, I'll dance with you, okay?"

"Okay!" Peri suddenly chirped, suddenly cheerful despite her earlier despondent attitude. "But only if you won't bring up Righty again!"

"Righty?" Laslow asked in confusion, looking at her leg again before the dots suddenly connected. "Oh! _Righty!"_

Peri giggled childishly at the sight of her husband's new revelation. "Yep!" she chirped before tugging even more ferociously at Laslow's arm, nearly causing him to fall again. "Now, let's dance!"

* * *

"Lady Sakura."

Sakura looked down from the small raised platform she and Elise were performing to see Leo, bowing and extending a hand towards her.

"You look as lovely as always," he said. "Would you do me the honor of dancing with me?"

Sakura looked nervously towards Elise, and to her mortification, Elise nodded, a glint in her eye as she made kissy-kissy motions. Leo looked just as taken aback as Sakura was but managed to recover quickly.

"I see the chattering monkey also known as my sister has given you her consent," Leo said dryly.

Elise stuck her tongue out at him.

Sakura smiled shyly as she stepped down, taking Leo's hand for support. "I-I would like n-nothing less," she said and was immediately rewarded by one of the small grins Leo reserved specifically for her.

"Wonderful. Now, I'm not much a dancer myself, but I have taken upon myself the task of studying the art of artistic footwork when I was a child, so hopefully I still remember the lessons my tutor whipped into me."

Sakura gasped. "D-did he actually—"

"Of course not," Leo said, smiling. "If there was ever a kingdom where people could get away with whipping the royal children, I've yet to read about it."

Sakura gaped at Leo but was unable to hold back the sudden fit of giggles within herself, and before he knew it, Leo joined in as well as they spiraled around each other in their dance.

* * *

Takumi scowled as he watched Azura being twirled around in Corrin's arms. Part of him knew that he was being petty, that he only disliked Corrin because he didn't like him when they first met, yet he was unable to erase the memories of his mother's body following Corrin's first transformation.

"Takumi? Takumi? Jiro's talking to you."

Takumi flinched at the sound of Oboro's voice. "Huh? What'd you say?"

"I said that you were being a terrible listener and that Lord Jiro was talking to you," Oboro deadpanned as she idly twirled a chopstick around her finger.

"Oh. Right, sorry," Takumi said embarrassingly as he turned back towards Jiro. "Now, what were you saying?"

The fat Hoshidan daimyo raised an eyebrow at Takumi's sudden lapse in attention. "Are you alright, my prince? You seemed oddly…angry towards King Corrin."

"I'm not," Takumi growled, even as he unconsciously clenched his fists. "I…simply have a certain disposition towards my step-brother."

"Your step-brother?" Jiro asked in surprise. "Tell me, what is the relationship between him and the rest of the Hoshidan and Nohrian royals?"

Takumi glowered visibly as Oboro laid a soothing arm on his shoulder. "What he was about to say, was that's complicated. You remember Queen Mikoto and Queen Ikona, do you not?"

"Of course!" Jiro said. "You may not remember, but I was once a close friend to both of them."

"Well," Oboro said, "long story short, before Queen Mikoto became queen, she was King Sumeragi's concubine, but after Takumi's youngest sister, Sakura, was born, Queen Ikona died due to complications during the birth. Meanwhile, Queen Mikoto had a son named Kamui, which was King Corrin's Hoshidan name. After Queen Ikona's death, Queen Mikoto became, you know, the queen. After that, you know what happened. Garon was possessed by Anankos, who used him to kill Sumeragi, steal away Kamui, renamed him to Corrin, and everything else after that is history."

"Kamui, huh?" Jiro mused, rubbing his chin. "No wonder why he looked so familiar at first. I remembered Queen Mikoto having a son named Kamui at some point, but then he mysteriously disappeared. So then the Nohrian royals are his step-family, I suppose."

"Yep," Takumi said, still seething underneath. "After we rescued him from Nohr's clutches, turns out he still held some loyalty towards them even after all Hoshido did for him."

"But surely, if they are his step-family, and he did not know about this whole situation, at least from what I've heard, then would it not make sense for him to connect more closely to Nohr than Hoshido, right?" Jiro asked. "I know I would."

"Exactly," Oboro said, looking pointedly at Takumi who had returned to glaring at Corrin and Azura. "Unfortunately, _someone_ looks like they can't let go."

Takumi ignored her as Jiro pursed his lips, recognizing the grave he was currently digging himself into. "Ah. I see," he said before hastily excusing himself to go to the "lavatory."

As the fat Hoshidan man disappeared into the crowd, Oboro turned and slapped Takumi's arm. Wincing, Takumi turned his gaze from Corrin and Azura onto Oboro.

"What was that for?" he hissed, barely managing to keep his voice level.

"What do you think?" Oboro retorted. "We're here, celebrating your step-brother's _wedding_ , for gods' sake, and all you can do is glare at him! Yeah, I get it, he hurt you before, but that was a long time ago! By this point, you're only hurting yourself if you don't forgive him!"

"And why would he want to forgive someone like me?" Takumi replied. "It still doesn't excuse the fact that he killed my mother."

"She was his mother too!" Oboro argued, though she kept her voice low. "And unlike you, she was his actual mother! If anything, he has more of a reason to grieve than you do, and besides, that was a long time ago too! Not saying this kind of loss gets easier—it doesn't—but you can at least forgive him, can't you?"

"I can't," Takumi said miserably, looking despondently down at Oboro. "I wouldn't expect you to understand, Oboro, I really don't. My entire life, I've been waiting to meet the brother my mother always compared me to, and yet when he returned home, the first thing he did was break her heart, and the second thing he did was to turn his back on us."

"He turned his back on Nohr too, you know," Oboro pointed out. "And the only reason he broke Queen Mikoto's heart was because she saw how distressed you were at the fact that Corrin came to Hoshido as Corrin, not Kamui."

"You wouldn't understand," Takumi said again, shaking his head and walking away.

"I think it's you who's not understanding!" Oboro argued as she followed Takumi. "You're always wrapped up in this feeling of feeling inferior compared to Lord Corrin, yet—"

"That's enough," Takumi snapped, glaring back at Oboro. "As your liege, I _order_ you to remain here and save my spot at that table."

"But—"

"That's an order," Takumi said with finality before turning around and striding into the crowd towards the food table. Oboro could only watch helplessly.

* * *

"Hey. Drink this. You look terrible."

Owain looked up to see Severa shoving a cup of what looked like wine into his hands. The redhead looked oddly concerned for once, though upon noticing Owain staring back at her, quickly put back on her normal demeanor.

"Or not," she snapped. "You could just have me waste my time by not taking the drink I brought you."

"It's fine," Owain said, tiredly taking the cup and drinking from. Almost immediately, he gagged.

"What is this…vile substance?" he spluttered, peering into the liquid's depths to ensure it wasn't poisoned.

"It's wine," Severa said dourly, though her expression softened on Owain's crestfallen expression. "Can't stand it too, huh?"

Owain shook his head and after glancing around to make sure nobody was looking at them, casually dumped the contents of the cup into a nearby potted plant.

"Owain!" Severa scolded. "Are you actually daft?"

Owain looked at her and rose an eyebrow. "'Owain?' Since when did you of all people start referring to me by my birth name?"

"I-I—shut up!" Severa stamped her foot and looked away petulantly.

Owain considered ribbing her a little bit more, but decided against and uncharacteristically leaned back against the wall, sliding down it until he was sitting on the floor. Severa looked down as she too picked up on his unusual somber demeanor.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concern shining through.

Owain shook his head but looked towards where Laslow and Peri were dancing together. Despite his friend's earlier misgivings about his wife ability to dance following her injury, Peri proved to be more than capable of moving along to the beat, and soon enough, both of them were laughing as they twirled around each other.

Severa followed Owain's gaze, and her expression softened further. "You're afraid Inigo's going to stay behind, aren't you?"

Owain nodded. "We've been through so much together, yet this is the reason why we part? It's…it's a little bit hard to take in."

"Wow," Severa noted dourly. "You must be pretty upset for you to start talking normally."

Owain looked at her. "Long have I known that by coming here, it would mean tearing apart my soul and body again, and I thought I could bear it. I mean, my mother and father died when I was young, and up until now, I never thought I would experience such a feeling again."

Severa pursed her lips, unsure of what to say. Instead, she opted to simply rest her hand on Owain's shoulder.

"Mother?"

Severa looked up to see Caeldori peering down at her with wide eyes. She was barely a teenager when she accompanied them into Valla, and with every passing day, Severa could see the resemblance between her and her own mother.

"Yes Caeldori? What's wrong?"

"Are…are you alright? You're crying."

Severa's hand reached up to her face to wipe away the tears she had been unconsciously shedding. "I was totally not," she said defensively, though with a smile. "I…I simply felt my eyes were too dry just then."

"Likely story," Owain snorted as he stood back up, dusting off his pants.

"As if you could think of a better lie on the spot," Severa countered, standing up as well. Turning towards her daughter, she asked, "Is there anything you need?"

Caeldori shifted uncomfortably. "Well, Elise said that she could let me play on her violin for a bit, but I wasn't sure if you would let me, so I came to ask."

Severa blinked. "Oh. Uh, yeah! Of course you can. Just make sure you don't break it, alright?"

Caeldori beamed and pumped a fist triumphantly. "Yes! Thank you, mother!"

"She takes after you, you know," Owain noted as Caeldori sped away. "Same red hair, same prickly personality, same… _Severa-ness_."

"She got her hair from Subaki," Severa said hollowly, unconsciously taking out the sketch of her, Subaki, and Caeldori together from her pocket and looking wistfully from it. "She got everything from Subaki."

Noting how fragile her voice suddenly sounded, Owain rested a hand on Severa's shoulder, and to his surprise, she clung to it like it was her lifeline. Together, the two time-travelers stood silently, until Owain broke the silence again by asking, "What about you? Have you decided on your future?"

Severa wiped her eyes. "Depends," she said simply.

"On?"

"On what you decide to do," Severa elaborated. "If Subaki was here…maybe, just maybe, my answer would've been different, but with him gone…there's nothing for me and Caeldori here. Caeldori looks more Hoshidan than either of us, and if I continue following Lady Camilla, who knows what the Nohrians will do to her." She sighed heavily. "As for Caeldori…I'm afraid that Subaki and I made a mistake in having her this early. She grew up isolated and alone. It would do her good to experience our home for once. But you haven't answered my question yet, Owain. What are _you_ going to do?"

"I'm going back home," Owain said. "There's…there is still much to do back home, and I'm reasonably confident that Lord Corrin and Lady Azura can handle things while we're gone. That, and…well, the thing you said about having nothing here…Unlike you or Inigo, I have no spouse to call my own, nor children. I have even less than you."

"I thought you hated leaving Inigo here?" Severa asked. "Have you magically changed your mind all of a sudden?"

"There is no such thing as magic," Owain said dully. "Only the ability to manipulate the energy around us."

"Don't change the subject!" Severa snapped.

Owain deflated as he leaned back against the wall. "In a way…yes, I despise being separated from Inigo, but he has a family here. A wife. A life! It would be cruel to both him and Peri for us to force him to come with us."

Severa nodded. "You're right," she noted. "It would be pretty unfair…"

Again, the two time-travelers fell back into silence, and again, Owain broke it by asking a question.

"Do you still have it?"

"Of course. Do you?"

Owain nodded, lifting away a patch of clothing to reveal a crystal hidden away in a fold of cloth that would normally be nigh-on impossible to see. "When…when do you think would be a good time for our…departure?"

Severa pursed her lips. "I'm…not sure. We said we would stay long enough to help with rebuilding, and we have, but if we stay any longer…"

"We'll never leave," Owain finished.

"Exactly," Severa agreed.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Next month?"

"What?"

"What do you say about us leaving at the beginning of next month?"

"…sounds…good."

Owain sighed. "Then next month it is then. Three weeks until we say goodbye."

* * *

A/N: Yes, I know this chapter has some unusual pairings, and that the fluff became darker towards the end, but I still hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter either way.


	47. (M) Featherweights and Featherbeds

A/N: So some of you have been wondering "What's up with the intro in the past two chapters?" The answer is that it's gonna show how the public thinks about our protagonists. It's sort like Persona 5's, if you know what I'm talking about. If not, don't worry, you're not missing anything. If they do something they don't like, both of their opinions are gonna be more negative. If they do something that they _do_ like, then their opinions are gonna be more positive. If it's in the middle, then they'll also be in the middle. Simple as that. Won't play _too_ much into the story, but I thought it would be a unique way to show how people react towards the protagonists as the arc progresses.

Also-this-is-my-first-time-writing-anything-remotely-sexual-and-I'm-only-17-so-I-have-no-experience-and-hopefully-I-won't-for-the-next-5-or-8-years-and-I-didn't-make-anything-ultra-explicit-because-my-name-is-connected-to-this-account-and-if-future-employers-find-out-I-have-a-penchant-for-writing-smut-I'm-fucked-also-are-you-guys-surprised-I-banged-this-one-out-in-less-than-a-day-haha-funny-sex-puns-I'm-going-to-have-a-stroke-one-day

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem or any of it's characters.

* * *

 **Featherweights and Featherbeds**

"Isn't that your fifth cup of sake?" Azura asked as Corrin brought the cup to his lips.

"What of it?" he replied gently before downing the cup in one go. "It's not going to kill me, is it?"

Azura watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed before looking and shaking her head. "You know, sake is the just the Nohrian version of wine, right?"

"Is it?" Corrin asked curiously as he looked at the empty bottle in front of him. "Then how come it's not doing anything?"

Azura rose an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I read about in books that people who usually drink stuff like this usually end up feeling dizzy or lightheaded," Corrin explained, swishing about the contents of the bottle. "Yet I feel none of those things."

"Hmm. That is pretty weird," Azura agreed as she squeezed his hand. Even after all these hours since the wedding reception started, the red ribbon tying them together was still entwined around their wrists, and as the sun touched the horizon, a dull fluttering sensation started to ache within her stomach and chest. A fluttering sensation that seemed intensify whenever Corrin squeezed her hand or kissed her. She liked it.

And she wanted more.

Suddenly, Azura sat up straight and pressed a finger against Corrin's lips to prevent him from taking another sip. "I know! Maybe it's because of your draconic blood?"

"What do you mean?" Corrin asked, looking pointedly around himself.

Taking heed of the warning despite the fact that most of the people next to them were either still eating, busy talking with their friends, or just outright passed out, Azura still lowered her voice. "I think it's because of your draconic blood, and your metabolism is faster. That's why you can't drunk as easily, if at all."

Corrin looked down at the empty bottle. "Well that explains a lot," he said, setting the bottle aside. "Guess that explains why it just felt like I was drinking water. Lots of water. Only that the water tasted really bitter."

"You're not a drinker, are you Corrin?" Azura noted as she laid her head on his shoulder.

Corrin shrugged and shook his head, jostling Azura. "I mean, there was one time where I took a sip of wine out of Xander's glass. I guess the beating afterward turned me off from drinking for a very long time."

Azura said nothing but merely hummed in contentment, her eyes closed.

"Speaking of which," Corrin said suddenly, looking around, "where is the closest bathroom? I think drinking five—no, six—cups of sake is unhealthy for anybody's bladder."

"Hm?" Azura asked as she opened her eyes. "Isn't there one in your room or something?"

"Yeah, but—"

"How about we _see it_ together then?" Azura asked seductively, fluttering her eyelashes. "I'm getting tired of wearing this dress anyways."

Corrin blinked, unused to Azura being this forward. Usually, it was the other way around. "Er—have you been drinking?"

"Only one or two cups," Azura admitted as she rested her free hand on Corrin's shoulder, playing with the fringes of his hair. "Now, shall we?"

Corrin looked towards the crowd. Felicia and Flora were both asleep already, though Jakob and Kaze were both keeping a faithful watch over both of them. Judging by the way Kaze was swaying, however, Corrin reckoned the ninja also had some drinks of his own, though Jakob remained as stiff and professional as ever.

Elise and Sakura had both retired already, and while Takumi and Leo remained awake, judging by how slurred their speech was and the increasingly ridiculous boasts made by both of them regarding _chess_ and _shogi_ , for heaven's sake, Corrin could also tell they wouldn't last much longer. Oboro and Hinata were both completely conked out, and Niles was apparently taking on trying to shoot an arrow through an apple placed on the two retainer's head while drunk as a personal challenge.

Thankfully, Laslow and Odin both managed to tackle the archer to the ground before he managed to loose his first arrow.

"Yeah, sure. Sounds good," Corrin agreed as he rose up.

Azura did the same, and though a good amount of the crowd is too drunk to notice their king and queen rising, those who did cheered loudly.

"Make a mess out of her!" Niles hooted before being tackled to the ground again by Laslow and Odin.

"Go—go get 'er!" Silas slurred, a burp interrupting him mid-sentence. He swayed in his chair next to Felicia before promptly falling asleep.

"What was Niles talking about, making a mess out of you?" Corrin asked Azura. For some reason, she was blushing furiously, though there was an anticipating smile on her face.

"I'll explain it when you're older," she said playfully as they walked through the corridor leading to Corrin's room.

Right as the door leading to Corrin's chamber came into view, a sudden swarm of maids came out of nowhere, surrounding them and pulling Azura away.

"Sorry, milord," one of the maids, a stout-looking matron, said apologetically. "Wedding dresses are very expensive and delicate, and getting her out of the dress requires a _lot_ of effort. It's not a two-man job if you want to get it off quickly, if you know what I mean."

Corrin blinked as the red ribbon fell away, though the maids made sure to step around it. "Uh, yeah. Sure."

"Don't worry about me!" Azura said as she disappeared around the corner. "Just do your thing! I'll meet you in your room."

Corrin watched as Azura disappeared while the old maid stooped down and picked up the ribbon before placing it back in Corrin's hand. Corrin accepted the gestured, though somewhat mollified.

"Just make sure she can walk tomorrow, will you milord?" the maid said before following the rest of her group around the corner.

Corrin looked down at the ribbon and back up, now completely alone in the corridor. "Why do people keep saying things like something's bad going to happen to her…?"

* * *

Corrin sighed in contentment as he flops himself onto the new bed the servants had brought in to replace his old one during the wedding. Unlike his old one, his new one was much softer and comfortable, most likely because of Azura's own preference. All Corrin knew was that so long as it was more comfortable than the miserable wooden plank he had when he was first kidnapped by Nohr, it was a bed.

His armor stood proudly on a nearby armor stand by the balcony window, and his cape was draped over the chair. He was mostly clad in a simple white shirt and loose pants, and his hair was damp from his recent washing.

"Where is she?" he wondered out loud to himself.

Just as the words left his mouth, the door to his room opened, and Corrin turned his head to see a familiar woman walking towards him, clad only in a short nightgown.

"You look like you're getting comfortable," Azura said affectionately as she laid down next to him.

"What took you so long?" Corrin asked as he sat up. Azura did the same.

Blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes, Azura said somewhat exasperatedly, " _Apparently,_ wedding dresses are about as complicated as Odin's normal way of speaking, which meant it took a while. You know how I was wearing a corset during the wedding and party?"

"Nope," Corrin answered, gawking unashamedly at Azura's long and smooth legs. "Did not know."

Azura rolled her eyes upon noticing what Corrin was distracted by. "Well, I was wearing a corset, but one of the maids tucked the laces _into_ the actual corset instead of leaving them free, like you're supposed to, which meant the maids had to cut me out. It also explained why I kept feeling this weird bumpon my back all the time."

"That doesn't sound good," Corrin agreed absentmindedly as he continued to ogle Azura. This time, his eyes shifted up to where her dress hiked up when she crossed her legs, and the pearly white skin of her legs and arms exposed by her nightgown shining in the moonlight.

Azura rolled her eyes again, and though she would never admit it, the whole time she was talking, she was doing the same to Corrin. The two of them continued looking at each other before Corrin suddenly shook his head and sat up, his eyes now alert.

"Uh, what were you saying?" he asked. "Something about a nightgown?"

Azura shook her head as she pulled her pendant off around her neck and set it on the nightstand next to the bed. "You're hopeless," she said.

"Uh-huh," Corrin said.

 _Now how to set the mood..._

"So, how was your day?"

 _You're a fool sometimes, you know, Corrin?_

Fortunately, Azura smiled and laid her head against Corrin's shoulder. "It was pretty good. Attended a wedding, drank one or two cups of sake, ate a lot of food—oh—and I also met this _wonderful_ man today. Turns out he was the groom, and he was really nice and handsome and loving and—"

Azura cut herself off by blushing and covering her mouth with her hands. "Well, enough about me. What about you? How was your day?"

Corrin shrugged as he rubbed the back of his head. "It…it was pretty good. Got married, had a lot of fun."

"Oh? Who'd you get married to?" Azura asked teasingly.

Corrin tugged at his collar, suddenly conscious of how close Azura was to him. Was it just him, or was she leaning closer to him? And why was she fluttering her eyelashes all of a sudden. And why did everything feel so hot all of a sudden?

"Uh, t-this really wonderful woman," Corrin stammered. "I think you'll know her. Her name is Azura, and she's the most w-wonderful person I've ever met."

"What's she's like?" Azura asked, her voice dropping lower and lower. She was _definitely_ leaning in closer to him.

"Uh, she's really b-beautiful and pretty," Corrin said, stuttering. "Um, she's also r-really nice and caring and k-kind. Oh, she's also a r-really great dancer and singer. D-did I say that's she's really beautiful and pretty?"

Azura rested a finger on her chin as she cheekily rose an eyebrow. "Oh, I don't know. I don't think so."

"Huh," Corrin replied. "Well, she is definitely b-beautiful and pretty and all those other things I said about her."

"She sounds like a wonderful woman," Azura said, pushing Corrin back onto the bed so that he was laying down. "I feel almost jealous."

"You know what's the best part about her though?" Corrin continued, allowing Azura to move him.

"Hm?"

"She's in this room right now," Corrin said cheekily. "Right next to—hey, wait a minute, why am I lying back down on the bed? I thought I was sitting up?"

Azura shushed him by placing a finger over his lips. Her hand was splayed right next to Corrin's head to hold herself up while her free hand rested on Corrin's chest. Her legs were entwined around Corrin's.

"You're so cute when you're like this," she cooed. "Don't worry, I'll take _good_ care of you."

Corrin shivered. "Eh, please don't. You're sounding like Camilla, and I'm not liking it."

The haze dropped from Azura's vision as she blinked in surprise. "Oh! I-I'm sorry! I didn't know you—"

"It's fine," Corrin sighed. Seemingly of their own accord, Corrin's hands found themselves resting on Azura's hips.

Noticing his presence as well, Azura shifted so that she was sitting directly on top of him, her legs on either side of him. One of her hands rested on Corrin's shoulder and the other on his chest. Likewise, one of Corrin's hands rested on her hips and another brushed her hair out of her face. His hand burned against her skin, and almost without thinking, Azura shifted her hips forward, causing Corrin to suddenly moan.

Immediately, however, he clamped his hand over his mouth as he stared at Azura. "Sorry," he squeaked, his face redder than she had ever seen before. "I-I didn't—"

"It's fine, Corrin," Azura said soothingly as she brought her face closer to his. "I've been waiting for this for a long time. I'm ready for it."

"W-wait, you have?" Corrin asked. "Since when?"

Azura shyly smiled as she lifted up Corrin's shirt so that he laid before her bare-chested. "About a month or so after I met you," she admitted. "Trust me, Corrin, if a woman is behaving like this when she's normally…you know, like me, you can bet that whatever you're about to do her, she's ready for it."

"Oh…" Corrin said. A look of pure surprise broke out across his features as he realized what was about to happen. " _Oh!_ Is that what Silas and Niles meant by making a mess out of you? Is it a part of whatever we're about to do?"

"Well, yes, but actually no," Azura said, shifting her hips forward just so she could hear Corrin gasp again. That fluttering feeling in her chest and stomach soon returned, this time in full force. Nothing was about to stop what was going to happen.

"Granted, I'm not ready for _that_ level yet," Azura admitted, "but I'm perfectly fine with what we have right now."

"A-are you sure?" Corrin asked, reluctantly replacing his hand back on Azura's hip. A third shift in her pelvis caused him to shiver again. "J-just tell me if I hurt you or if you feel pain. _Any_ sort of pain, okay?"

Azura smiled as she tugged off Corrin's pants before sliding her own undergarments off her leg and slinging them over her shoulder. Already, Corrin stood at rigid attention, and she could feel a knowing… _dampness_ between her thighs.

"Don't worry," she said lustfully as she kissed Corrin fully on the lips. "I will."

He said nothing but merely kissed her back equally as fully before allowing Azura to settle herself over him.

* * *

" _Aah…Hnn…nngh…"_

" _Oh gods C-Corrin! F-fuck!"_

" _A-am I…hurting…"_

" _N-no…k-keep going!"_

" _A-Azura!"_

" _C-Corrin!"_

" _I-I'm—"_

" _Me t-too! I-I'm…c…I'm...—oh fuck!"_

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"A…Azura?"

Azura's eyes slowly opened as she took a huge gulp of air, her bare chest heaving for air against Corrin's in light of their most recent "activity." Both of their skins shone with sweat in the moonlight.

"Y-yes?" she asked. Her voice was still in that breathy high-pitched tone, and for some reason, she liked it.

"You…you okay?" he asked.

She twisted around and kissed Corrin sweetly on the cheek. "Never better," she said cheekily before slowly easing herself off of Corrin.

Sucking in a breath at the beautiful mess they've made, Azura reached for a nearby rag. "That…that was memorable," she said as she cleaned herself and Corrin. "You did pretty good, considering it was hopefully your first time."

"Yeah…" Corrin said sleepily, his eyes slowly closing. "In…credible…"

Azura tossed the rag to a corner of a room. Part of her wondered if they should leave a note for the maids to _not_ touch that rag, but another part of her decided she was too lazy. For now, she was simply content with spending more time with Corrin.

"Corrin?" she called questioningly.

All she received was a gentle snore in response.

Smiling, she gently threw the covers over themselves before cuddling in next to Corrin, his heartbeat in her ear, her legs entwined around his, and her fingers wrapped around his.

* * *

When Corrin woke, the first thing he noticed was the tuft of hair in his mouth. The second thing he noticed was the lack of feeling his right arm. Looking over, Corrin saw Azura sleeping peacefully beside him, her sides rising and falling as she breathed.

Corrin smiled gently at the sight of seeing her so relaxed for once, before realizing why he couldn't feel his right arm. Corrin could just barely make out his fingertips peeking out from underneath Azura's hair and wiggled them experimentally. To his concern, they did not move.

"Azura!" he said, shaking her with his left arm. "Azura!"

Azura mumbled something along the lines of "five more minutes" before her eyes snapped open when Corrin kicked at her from beneath their covers.

"What? What!" she said, apparently annoyed.

"My…arm," Corrin said feebly, attempting to move it again.

Azura frowned in confusion, her golden eyes glistening in the morning sunlight. "Your…arm?" she said questioningly. "What about it?"

Suddenly, her eyes widened and she twisted around to look at what she had been sleeping on the entire night. Sure enough, tangled in the long locks of her hair was Corrin's arm, red and creased from where Azura had slept on it. Corrin sighed in relief as he pulled his arm away, though when he stood back up, he found it felt like less of a limb and more of a heavy metal pipe hanging uselessly.

"Uh, Azura?" he called.

Azura's froze. "Yes?" she replied hesitatingly.

"I can't feel my arm. Is it supposed to be this floppy?"

Azura looked over, habitually clutching the cover to her naked chest to preserve her modesty out of habit and was promptly greeted by the sight of Corrin swinging his arm around like a sort of club. Corrin looked up at her with that confused puppy-eyed look as he smashed his hand into the nightstand on his side of the bed.

"Corrin!" Azura scolded, crawling over to him and taking his arm in her hands.

"Was…is this supposed to happen after what we did last night?" Corrin asked.

"No! No, it's actually my fault," Azura said as she absentmindedly massaged Corrin's wrist. "You…you fell asleep like, almost immediately after we finished, and when I fell asleep, I guess I must've slept on your arm which is why it you can't feel it. The blood wasn't able to properly pump to your arm, which explains the numbness."

"Oh. How long will it take for it to work again?" Corrin asked, trying to move his fingers again. The tips moved, but only slightly.

"Just give it a few minutes," Azura said, releasing his hand and getting up from their bed to dress herself.

As Azura began the arduous process of brushing her hair, Corrin asked, "So how was it?"

"How was what?" she asked back.

"Last night," Corrin said, turning away. He was dressed in a simple white button-up with a black vest and gray pants. Azura decided she rather liked this kind of attire. After seeing Corrin in that black and white form-fitting armor almost all the time, seeing him in something normal for once was...nice, to say the least.

Despite not being to see his face from where she sat in front of the nightstand, she knew he was smiling and blushing as the memories of their consummation caught up to him.

"It was lovely," Azura said truthfully as her hand dropped to the area between her groin and stomach. There was a dull ache between her legs, but despite the dull pain, it also felt…pleasurable—satisfying even, to know that Corrin had been inside of her.

"Are you sure?" Corrin asked teasingly. Azura gasped in surprise when he suddenly wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck. Instinctively, Azura closed her eyes and arched her back when Corrin pressed a kiss to her neck.

"I'm sure," Azura managed to whisper before returning the favor. As Corrin gasped, she whispered, "And I'll be waiting for a repeat performance later, if you're willing to _sing_ for me again."

Corrin simply smiled and hummed deep in his chest. "Only if you promise to dance for me again."

Azura laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh my gods! You're so cheesy!"

"I know," Corrin said simply. "But that's the part you love the most about me, isn't it?"

"...quiet, you."

* * *

A/N: Should probably update the AO3 version of this, huh?

Edit: added the aftermath


	48. (M) Please, No More

A/N: Need writing prompts for future fluffs. If you guys want this arc to last, you gotta gimme something to work with. Think of it as be working on a comision, except you don't pay for anything and I pay by losing sleep. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem fates or any of its characters

* * *

" _You look like you've been through some shit."_

" _Can it. And gimme a beer while 'yer shuttin' 'yer mouth."_

" _That's not how things work in the Yato, you know. Usually, people say 'please,' before they ask someone to shut up. That, or I end up wiping the blood off the table later."_

" _Ugh, fine._ Please _gimme a beer."_

" _Much better. That'll be four gold, thank you very much."_

"… _hmph."_

"… _You went to the wedding?"_

"' _course I did. Wouldn't be a true Vallite if I didn't."_

" _You change your mind about our king yet?"_

" _Y'know the answer already. She d'serves the throne, an' not him. Still though…"_

" _What? You suddenly feel happy for him or what?"_

" _How could I not? Boy just got hitched, didn' he? Y'gotta be a right heartless bastard to look at someone on their weddin' day 'n say 'wish that bitch was dead.'"_

" _You married before?"_

" _Tch. Once upon a time."_

" _What happened? Oh, wait a sec. Him."_

" _Yeah,_ him _. Took m'wife and kids along with 'im too."_

" _I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't realize."_

" _Yeah, well, y'can shove it. I told you the firs' time, I ain't about the 'sorry 'bout' your loss' kinda guy."_

" _I know, it's just…I'm sorry. I lost my father when I was young, and it crushed me. Can't imagine what you went through."_

" _Yeah, well…there's a reason' why I'm always here."_

* * *

 **Please, No More**

Being married was…interesting.

On one hand, most aspects, such as sharing food or working together was something both Azura and Corrin were more than familiar. Being almost glued at the hip at all times towards the end of the war meant they were very well-versed with each other's likes and dislikes; yet on the other hand, despite Azura thinking that she knew Corrin almost inside and out, there were still some parts about him that surprised her, even as there were still some parts about _her_ that surprised him.

In fact, there were even things about herself that even _she_ didn't know about.

For example, both Azura and Corrin knew that Corrin would most likely be the cuddler out of the two of them, but what surprised them both was Azura's own iron grip while sleeping. Even Azura was surprised at the angry red marks she left on Corrin's hand or arms whenever they woke up, but nothing prepared them for the other's wanting kisses and embraces in the dead of night.

Surprisingly, Azura who was more wanting. Contrary to Corrin's initial beliefs, and despite Azura's claims, the two of had found the blunette to be the more dominant one in bed. Corrin said that he didn't mind Azura being more dominant, since it made things easier for him (he had added a smarmy wink before Azura swiftly elbowed him).

Secretly though, however, Azura enjoyed being the one to make him gasp in ecstasy, and there was always something soothing about feeling something so solid and loving beneath her whenever she was at her most vulnerable.

But gods be damned before she admitted anything of the sort to Corrin.

* * *

"That…that was enjoyable."

Corrin grunted as he flopped down next to Azura. He pressed a kiss to her neck, causing her to wriggle in joy.

"You…you said the same thing last time," he panted, sweat gleaming off his brow in the fireplace following their most recent lovemaking session.

"I know," Azura said mischievously, rolling over so that she was on top of him again. "But that's the simple truth, you know. There's simply no other words to describe my…my…"

"Your satisfaction?" Corrin offered, struggling to keep his eyelids open.

That was another thing Azura had discovered about Corrin. Every time they 'finished,' so to speak, she always found Corrin drifting off to sleep, leaving her to be one to clean up after themselves. She had no idea whether or not that was because he was half-dragon, or simply a by product of being male, but either way, she had no intention of asking anyone else.

Plus, it was always a treat to see Corrin dozing peacefully.

Azura took a moment to pretend to think, frowning and furrowing her eyebrows while tapping her chin with a finger. "Yes, I think 'satisfying' would be another word to describe my enjoyment of you."

Corrin laughed, though his chuckle soon faded away. "Yeah, well…"

 _That was a whole minute,_ Azura noted mentally to herself. _A brand-new record._

Azura's own smile faded away at the look of sudden consternation on Corrin's face. He was frowning, his brow furrowed in that way every time he was deep in thoughts. It was a sight Azura had only seen him wear during the war, and she did not want to see such an expression so soon especially during their honeymoon.

"Hey," she said gently, cupping his cheeks in her hands and forcing him to look at her in the eyes. Gold met red beautifully, and in the dying light from the fire place, Corrin's eyes were almost a shade of maroon while Azura's own golden eyes seemed to be of a simple amber color.

"Don't fall asleep just yet," she ordered, gently flicking the tips of Corrin's ears. _That_ woke him up, and Azura made a mental note in her mind about the best way to keep Corrin awake in the future.

"Ah!" Corrin yelped, instinctively twisting away from her and nearly kicking Azura off their bed. "What? What is it?"

Azura squeaked as she barely managed to keep herself covered and sealed away from the cold of the night. "Careful!" she scolded. "You almost kicked me onto the floor!"

"S-sorry," Corrin apologized sheepishly. In the firelight, sweat gleamed off his toned torso, and Azura's gaze automatically dropped down to the scar on his stomach.

Without thinking, Azura reached out to run her hand over it. Corrin froze when her cool fingers found him but relaxed as soon as he realized what she was doing. Ever since their first time, Azura had taken a newfound interest in exploring every inch of his body, and he always obliged her, but the one aspect she always came back to was the scar on the stomach where he had saved her from a Faceless that had been about to kill her.

"Do you remember?" Azura asked, her voice scarcely more than a whisper over the crackling of the flames. "Do you remember how you got this scar?"

"Of course," Corrin said, equally as tenderly. "I also remember what came out of it. A trip to the infirmary and the love of my life declaring her love for me."

Normally, Azura would have smiled and blushed at his honeyed words, but not tonight. Tonight, she cupped Corrin's face in her hands again and pulled his head towards her chest.

Corrin blushed as he realized that Azura was still stark naked save for the blankets covering the lower half of her body, but Azura did not seem to care. She pulled him close to her chest, where he could hear the beat of her heartbeat, still pulsing faster than usual following their activity.

"What's wrong?" she whispered, gently stroking the back of Corrin's head.

Corrin wrestled with the answer for a moment before deciding the best way would be to be blunt. It was, after all, Azura's own preferred method of offering support.

"It's nothing big," Corrin said, causing Azura to look down at him, a sharp look of disapproval on her face.

"But it's also nothing small!" Corrin added hastily. "I…I was just thinking about how long we've been married. Three, four days now?"

"It's been a _week_ , Corrin," Azura chided softly. Sometimes, despite being the one to lead two armies of vastly different cultures against a kingdom nobody had known about, and despite being a massive bookworm and scholar at heart, Corrin could be almost pathetically absentminded sometimes. "We've been married to each other for nearly _seven days_. Eight days, once midnight passes tonight."

"Has it?" Corrin asked, frowning before suddenly shrugging. "Eh, it doesn't matter. I-I mean it does! B-but all I wanted to see was…how many times have we, you know…done the _thing_?"

"I'd…I'd say around something close to ten or so," Azura said. After each session, that dull pain between Azura's legs slowly faded into nothing, and now it was always a constant part of her, much like how her habit and pendant was, at least up until her marriage. Even after so many times, the pain never failed to satisfy Azura with the knowledge that only Corrin was allowed in such a vulnerable place.

"Why?"

Corrin twisted his gaze away from her to gaze at the balcony, where a small round table and two chairs had been set up for Azura and Corrin's use outside.

"I…I may have been catching up on some of my old anatomy textbooks," Corrin started to say, blushing and glancing away.

"Okay…and?"

Corrin looked back at her. "I don't think I'm ready yet. For both kids and another session."

Azura frowned. "W-what? What are you saying?"

Corrin shifted underneath her, and Azura recognized it as a subtle sign of him wanting Azura off of him. Without hesitation, she slid off him though she kept her hand wrapped around his fingers. To her relief, he did not pull away from that as well, and in fact tightened his grip on her hands.

Kicking his legs over the edge of the bed, Corrin sat on the edge of the bed, hands clasped together and shoulders hunched as he looked back out the window. "We've…been doing it a lot recently, and…and I sort of want a break, you know? Not saying it's not getting any less enjoyable or satisfying, as you would say…but it's also getting…less…how do I put this? Less...less _special_ , you know?"

Azura's lips turned downward. "Are…are you saying that you don't want anymore?" she asked.

"Oh, I do," Corrin said, a brief smile cracking through his expression to lighten the mood. "I'm definitely looking forward to spending more time in bed with you…but I think I'm going to need a break for a little while. It's actually starting to get sort of painful for me, and I have no idea how you can stand it so much."

Azura frowned unhappily and cupped Corrin's cheek in her hand again. As he closed his eyes and pressed back against the palm of her hand, Azura said, "If it was hurting you, then why didn't you say anything?"

Corrin cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well, it didn't hurt all the time. I guess you can think of it as...a sign that I'm not ready to have an heir yet—that _we're_ not ready to have an heir yet."

Azura laughed at that last part, though her voice was tempered by that of concern. "Don't worry, Corrin, she said soothingly. She sat down next to him, their legs touching and shoulders pressed against each other. "There's things a woman can do to prevent becoming with child, you know. There's no risk of us becoming parents within a month of marrying each other."

"That's good," Corrin said, relieved. "Though I'm still unsure as to how those 'methods' of yours work."

"You don't need to know," Azura said cheekily as she tugged playfully at Corrin's shoulders. "Now, cuddle please? I know you don't want to have sex right now, but that still means we can cuddle at least, right?"

Corrin chuckled though he allowed Azura to drag him down. "Gods, you really are needy sometimes, you know that?"

"I do," Azura said, her eyes sparkling with mirth in the darkness. "I need you."

"Tch—and you call me cheesy," Corrin replied as he nestled his head over Azura's chest.

"That's because you are," Azura replied, stroking Corrin's hair.

Only a hum of contentment was all Corrin deigned to respond with.


	49. (T) Lakeside Cabin

A/N: So I may have gotten back into Assassin's Creed and Ocarina of Time again, which will probably mean I'll working through the games instead of actually writing, so...

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of the characters

* * *

Corrin whistled appreciatively as the cabin slowly appeared over the crest of the hill.

"That's…that's…quite impressive," he admitted, urging his horse to a halt so he and Azura could take in the view.

Likewise, Azura also seemed similarly impressed expression as she stopped next to Corrin. Like Corrin, she also wore an expression of amazement and pleasure on her face, though for once, it was Azura who seemed more excited about their most recent honeymoon destination than Corrin, which was saying something considering how much Corrin had jumped around upon learning about their destination.

Before laid them laid a small log cabin built in a round open grass field, on a small hill next to a lake located in the middle of a thick coniferous forest. The house itself was surrounded by a wooden fence with a wooden gate, and there were a few patches of moss growing on the cabin walls, giving it a very natural and calming feel. The house itself was nothing special—just a single-story log cabin with a terrace at the entrance and a balcony in the back overlooking the lake, but that wasn't what Azura and Corrin were concerned about—what they were more concerned about was the _view._

There was a small patch of pine trees between the cabin and the actual lake itself, but even from their angle, Corrin and Azura could see the gorgeous snow-capped mountains in the distance and the luscious green trees ringing the azure lake. A series of small wooden pathways lined the lakeshore, creating trails into the green forest. Above them, the sky was cerulean blue with only a few wisps of white clouds scattered here and there. The sun glinted off the water, and the two of them couldn't help but sit there and admire the view from on top their horses, forgetting for a breathless moment about the weight their loyal companions carried. It was a picturesque place indeed, and it would be where Corrin and Azura would stay for the next two days on their honeymoon trip.

As part of their honeymoon trip, Otis and Lilith had arranged a trip to the small cabin which was built not far from where Corrin and Azura had married each other, next to the ocean. Surprisingly, once misunderstandings were cleared and old hatreds set aside, the older Vallite man and former dragon had turned out to be quite the pair. While Corrin and Azura had to take care of larger matters, as was expected of them, Lilith and Otis both proved their worth when it came to smaller matters. As soon as Corrin had the opportunity to, he appointed Lilith as his second chamberlain, with Otis being the first.

At first, Lilith had been hesitant to take the position, citing that she was worried about how people—especially the Vallites—will talk about how a random, blue-haired girl managed to sneak her way up into one of the most prestigious duties. Corrin managed to assure her that people were more concerned with bringing over their families and trying to start a new life in New Valla over wondering where their second royal chamberlain came from. Eventually, and albeit reluctantly, Lilith agreed, and before they knew it, the blue-haired girl was working alongside Otis fabulously in helping Corrin and Azura run the kingdom.

"'Impressive' is an understatement," she said, smiling widely. "When Otis and Lilith said that they found a perfect 'home away from home,' I never thought it would be this beautiful."

Azura and Corrin had visited this cabin only once before on a sightseeing ride across the country, but both were delighted to learn that the small but cozy abode would soon serve as their "home away from home," as Azura stated. While the cabin had been rundown and abandoned the first time they passed through, Lilith apparently ordered workmen to renovate the entire building. What solidified their decision in choosing this forest as their 'villa' was the fact that the cabin was built in a grassy plain next to a forest, and in said forest was a lake, very similar to the one where Corrin had met Azura for the first time, albeit much, much larger. While Xander and Ryoma had huge elaborate villas or manors to serve as their own personal retreats, Corrin and Azura—especially Azura—preferred something a bit…homelier.

And thus the idea for their first trip for their honeymoon was born.

The plan was, as of right now, they would spend one or two days in their little cabin-home before making their way across Valla and into Hoshido to see the beautiful blooming of the cherry blossom trees, then the dragon boat races, and finally Ryoma's coronation. After that, they would journey back into Valla, cross it again, this time into Nohr to attend Xander's own coronation party and to see Selena, Odin, and Caeldori off to wherever world they came from—Laslow and Peri had elected to stay behind—before finally, watching a live performance of a particularly prestigious musical performance named _Fates_ , which, according to Azura, was one of two things she had wanted to ever to see in her life, with seeing Anankos gone being the first.

Azura blinked and shook her head as Corrin cleared his throat. "Shall we?" he asked, gesturing towards where their home for the next few days was waiting for them.

"We shall," Azura replied playfully as she urged her horse into a trot.

As Corrin helped unsaddle the horses and herd them into a nice little pasture beside the house, Azura took the opportunity to look around the house.

The house contained only two main rooms: a large living room and a bedroom along with a third smaller room serving as the storeroom near the living room, kitchen, and bathroom. The living room contained a round wooden table, a wardrobe, and a full-body sized mirror next to the cutlery sideboard while the bedroom was furnished with one large bed, very cushy and prominent, Azura noted with interest, a small bulletin board which Azura assumed would be for pictures or notes, and a small nightstand on either side of the bed. There was also a small table with a flower in a vase on top next to the windows.

Azura started as she realized that the flower was actually a blue rose, the same one that Corrin had given to her soon after they started courting. _He must've kept it all this time for this purpose_ , Azura realized.

On the far side of where Azura entered was the windowed door leading to the balcony and, more importantly, the view. Pausing only to set her and Corrin's bags down at the foot of the bed, Azura slowly approached the balcony and with slightly trembling fingers, turned the handle. A gust of wind blew in past her, tousling her hair and ruffling the pedals of the blue rose.

"Beautiful view, isn't it?"

Azura flinched and jumped backwards in surprise, barely managing to stifle a yelp as she realized there was a old man sitting in a wooden rocking chair next to the wall. The old man looked like he was in his mid-sixties and wore a tan colored long coat with a red tunic underneath. Beneath his wide-brimmed hat was his silvery gray away, which was pulled into a neat little ponytail. As the old man looked up at Azura, the shadows caused by his hat slowly fell away, revealing a very tanned and weathered face, though his brown eyes were full of understanding and compassion.

"You are the new queen of New Valla, are you not?" the old man asked.

"Who are you?" Azura asked frostily, unsure as to lower her guard or not. After all, it's not everyday you find an old man sitting by himself in the middle of basically nowhere. "And what are you doing here? I thought this place was supposed to only be for me and Corrin."

The old man chuckled as he rested both hands on top of his gnarled cane. "Well yes, but if there's a similarity between the poorest of dirt shacks and the richest of castles, it's that there must always be someone willing to take care of it."

Extending a hand towards Azura, the old man sad, "I am Achilles. I used to own this land."

Azura gingerly shook Achilles' hand. "'Used to?'" she asked. "I hope we didn't cause trouble for you by kicking you out of your home."

Achilles chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about it. This old cabin was getting too difficult for an old man like myself to take care of. Luckily, my new home is just over there and is a bit easier to maintain"

He pointed towards a small wooden shack built next to a pier extending over the lake. "See that shack? I'm more than happy to give up my home for you two, especially if you're the queen and king."

"Azura?" Corrin's voice called questioningly. "Azura, who are you talking to?"

Azura turned to see Corrin behind her. His eyes softened and his posture relaxed as he realized she was safe, but he gave a confused look towards Achilles.

"Oh," he said, realizing. "Uh, was I interrupting something, or…"

"No, no, you're fine," Achilles said as he stood up. Corrin automatically rushed over to try and help him, but Achilles simply waved him away.

"Leave me be, boy," Achilles said gently. "These old bones managed to maintain this cabin for the last twenty or so years. I'm sure I can handle standing up and walking half a mile back home."

Corrin's eyebrows lifted in surprise as he looked around himself. "You…you did all this? For us?"

Achilles simply winked as he hobbled past Corrin. "Of course!" he replied cheerfully. "It wouldn't do well for any newlyweds, regardless if they're royalty or not, to see their new home dusty and dirtied, am I right?"

Corrin frowned and reached out towards Achilles. "Wait, did this place used to belong to you?"

"It did once, my boy," Achilles said. "But I'm much happier now with my new home. If you require anything or have questions about this land, feel free to drop by the tiny shack next to the pier by the lake."

"You're leaving?" Azura asked.

"Well of course!" Achilles replied, looking back as he opened the door. "The two of you still have much to discover about this place together, and I wish not to be the one to detract from your enjoyment. Goody-bye!"

Corrin and Azura watched silently as the door closed shut and continued watching silently as Achilles' figure hobbled along the wooden pathway towards the aforementioned shack. As he opened the door, Achilles turned back and waved at them merrily with his cane before disappearing into the tiny house.

"Who…who was that?" Corrin asked curiously.

"He called himself Achilles," Azura responded. "He said that he used to take care of this place, but gave it up to us because he felt he was getting too old to keep this place clean."

"Huh." Corrin shrugged and headed back inside to finish laying out their belongings. "At least he did a good job of it."

Azura hummed in agreement as she followed Corrin inside. Corrin looked up from whatever he was doing when he felt Azura's frame press against him and he instinctively closed his eyes and breathed in Azura's faint strawberry scent.

"You like it so far?" he asked quietly.

Azura simply nodded before burying her face into his back and tightening her grip around him. Corrin simply smiled before suddenly bounding back out onto the balcony, leaving Azura behind.

"Let's go to the lake!" he said excitedly, almost childishly. "We can go swimming!"

Azura smiled at the boyish grin on her husband's face. "Well, let's finish getting our stuff out. _Then_ we can go frolic and do whatever it is you want to do."

"But what about you?" Corrin asked, tilting his head. "What do you want to do?"

Azura simply looked at the blue rose sitting in the jar and walked over to it. Gently pressing her nose to the petals, she said simply, "I've already done it. I married you, didn't I?"

Corrin blushed as another boyish grin broke out on his face. He rubbed the back of his head as he stuttered, "Well, y-yeah. When you put it _that_ way, I guess this sort of thing looks really weak compared to what you gave me."

"Don't say that," Azura scolded gently as she walked back towards Corrin. "It's true I love you more than anything else in the world, but you've already shown me how much you loved me. This whole honeymoon is just a way for us to get to know each other better in a way we haven't been able to before."

"But I already know everything there is to know about you!" Corrin pouted. "Like I know you have a fear of spiders and salamanders! You're allergic to peanuts and poison ivy—"

"— _everyone's_ allergic to poison ivy, Corrin," Azura interrupted. "That's why it's called _poison_ ivy."

"—you hate being called a dancer instead of a songstress, and you love strawberries above all else," Corrin continued, counting down on his fingers.

"Not all else," Azura correct as she stepped closer to Corrin. She twisted her hands around his neck as she fluttered her eyelashes. Their noses almost touching, she whispered, "You exist, don't you?"

Corrin chuckled and pecked her on the lips before pulling himself away. Azura let him go, and as he unbuttoned his tunic, she glimpsed the trademark blue glow of his dragonstone, and an idea vegan to form in Azura's head.

"Actually," she mused, "there is one thing I want to do while we're here."

"Hm?" Corrin asked, freeing his torso free of his riding tunic. "What is it?"

Smiling, Azura told him.

* * *

Corrin could barely prevent himself from jumping into the lake as he waited for Azura to finish changing. Bouncing on the balls of his feet impatiently, he looked out at the white-capped expanse of water rippling with fan-shaped patterns where wing brushed it. The pure size of it delighted him.

Unable to contain himself any longer, he called, "Azura, where are you? You're taking forever!"

"Be patient, Corrin," Azura said admonishingly as she walked out of the house. "You know, women's clothing can be much more complex and fragile than men's."

Corrin turned towards the sound of Azura's voice and his jaw nearly hit the floor as he beheld the sight of Azura walking towards him, clad only in a simple white two-piece bikini. There was a patch of fabric obscuring part of her right leg where Corrin knew there was a scar from her childhood in Nohr. Her smooth pearly-white arms and legs seemed to glow in the sunlight, the way her bare hips sashayed side to side as she walked towards him caused Corrin to see stars in his vision.

Azura blushed and unconsciously tried to hide her figure using her long blue hair as she noticed Corrin gawking at her. "C-can you please stop staring?" she said, growing redder by the second. "I-it's kind of embarrassing…"

"You're beautiful," Corrin breathed, still standing slack-jawed. "Just…just…just… _wow_."

Azura took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her nerves. Trying to push past her own embarrassment, she tried a joke. "W-well, are you sure i-it isn't because you can see my cleavage and thighs?" she asked, trying to grin only for the corners of her mouth twitch upwards in what one could say was an attempt at a sheepish smile.

Corrin shook his head and gestured to the entirety of Azura's body. "No, _all_ of you is beautiful. I only wish that other people can see you like this."

Azura blushed so red, she could've been mistaken for a walking lobster. "C-Corrin!" she protested.

Corrin tilted his head quizzingly. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

Azura shook her mind as she shyly walked up to Corrin. "N-never mind." Taking his hand in hers, she said quietly, "Let's just get this over with."

"I thought you were the one who wanted to do this?" Corrin asked teasingly. "Having second thoughts?"

Azura tired to answer but what came out was a senseless string of words.

Why was she like this now? Normally, she would've been able to control herself and say what was necessary, but now that she was in this situation, it seemed like nothing wanted to work properly for her. Maybe it was the sun. Yeah, that was it. And maybe two parts seeing Corrin's figure without a shirt on. Maybe three parts.

Laying off his needling of her, Corrin touched his dragonstone. Following Anankos' death, he found that whenever he _did_ transform into his full-fledged draconic form during the rare opportunities where he had the space and isolation to do so, he found himself no longer…clouded by murderous thoughts.

Sure, there were the instinctual habits of wanting to spread his wings and hunt for animals for sustenance, and there _may_ have been one time where he instinctively tried to wrap his tail around Azura's waist while he was partially transformed during an "exploratory" session, but most of the time, he felt the same as he ever did in his dragon form, only that he couldn't see any colors other than dark navy blue and the world around him was defined by silhouettes and smells instead of sight alone. Lilith had also explained that the degeneration in dragons that Corrin also feared would only occur once they live to an extraordinarily old age, which, luckily for Corrin, wasn't coming anytime soon.

With a flash of light, in Corrin's place stood a dragon, it's black and white scales shining as brightly as ever, even more so in the sun overhead. Corrin stood up proudly and gently whipped his tail back and forth as he looked curiously back at Corrin.

"A-Are you sure about this?" she asked hesitatingly, taking small steps towards him. "W-wouldn't someone see you like this?"

" _No humans,"_ Corrin said, his voice strangely distorted and metallic sounding. It sounded like he was speaking underwater. " _No smells."_

Azura couldn't help but release a pent-up breath in relief. While she was off changing into her swimwear, she asked Corrin to see if he could detect any other humans within a three-mile radius besides them and Achilles. According to Corrin, they were entirely alone, and assuming they keep their distance away from Achilles' shack, they shouldn't be in danger of interrupting him. Even then, with Corrin's keen hearing and sense of sight, anybody who was interested in watching the two of them would instantly be detected.

"Good," she breathed. "N-now, can you crouch down a bit? You're too tall for me."

Doing as Azura requested, Corrin bowed his knees. A soft huff of air escaped from where his nostrils would've been had he been any other land creature as he felt Azura's weight settle into the groove between his back and the base of his long neck.

As he looked back to check if Azura was comfortable, she smiled demurely and patted the side of his jaw. "I'm fine," she said soothingly. "Let's have some fun."

The words had barely left her mouth before Corrin jumped out over the water, his wings pumping and flapping furiously as they climbed in altitude. While Corrin had never truly flown in battle before due to the risk of being picked off by enemy mages and archers, he had glided before.

If he was being honest with himself, flying didn't feel all that different from, say, literally flapping his arms in his human form. Sure, it was tiring after a while, but with his massively increased strength, exhaustion would only arrive after hours of flying without rest, something he hoped he wouldn't have to do anytime soon.

They soared upward, circling over the lake and at that height, the opposing shore and the tops of the trees were clearly visible. On his back, Azura tightened her grip around his neck.

Unusually bold, Azura leaned forward and asked Corrin, "Would you like to take a bath?"

If Corrin had a face, he would've grinned wolfishly. He locked his wings and sank to the waves, clipping the crests with the tips of his claws. The water sparkled in the sunlight as they sailed over it. On his back, Azura _whooped_ and screamed in delight. Then Corrin folded his wings and dived into the lake, his head and neck entering It like a lance.

The water hit Azura like an icy wall, knocking out her breath and almost tearing her off Corrin, despite her people's supposed affinity for water. She held on tightly as he swam for the surface. With three powerful strokes of his feet, Corrin breached the water and sent a burst of shimmering water toward the sky. Azura gasped and futilely tried to shake her hair into neatness as Corrin slithered across the lake, using his tail as a rudder.

Corrin looked back at her, as if asking " _Ready?"_

Azura nodded and took a deep breath, tightening her arms. This time, they slid gently under the water. They could see for yards through the unclouded liquid. Corrin twisted and turned in fantastic shapes, slipping through the water like an elusive eel. Azura felt as if she was riding a sea serpent of legend, which in a way, she supposed, was partially true.

Just as her lungs started to cry for air, despite her Vallite heritage, Corrin arched his back and pointed his head upward. An explosion of droplets haloed them as Corrin leapt into the air, wings snapping open. With two power flaps, they gained altitude.

"Wow!" Azura exclaimed happily. "That was fantastic!"

" _Puny human lungs,"_ Corrin replied snappily, though Azura knew he was trying to convey his sympathy for her human limitations rather than to mock them.

"Well, there's nothing I can do about that, now can I?" she asked, futilely pressing water out of her air. She was drenched, as was to be expected, and the wind from Corrin's wings chilled her.

Looking down at the glittering water below them, she asked mischievously, "Now, let's do that a third time, shall we?"

Corrin said nothing but simply dove back down towards the water.

* * *

A/N: For references sake for the cabin, think of it as SAO's log cabin home, which was what I took all of my inspiration from. SAO may be a bad anie, but at least it's landscape panoramas are top-notch. Achilles is based on Achilles Davenport from the bad Assassin's Creed game (AC 3), but unlike the game, he won't be playing too big of a role in this story. I just thought it would be a fun little way of giving a reason why their homestead would always end up being nearly perfect whenever they visit the cabin in the future, but those chapters are for the future.


	50. (M) The Dragon Boat Festival

A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update. Between final exams, a bit of writer's block, and simply forgetting or running out of ideas despite your guy's wonderful suggestions, this chapter definitely took a while. I know a couple of guys gave me really good suggestions, and I'll definitely add them in, but I want to get the honeymoon and trips to Nohr and Hoshido over with first just so a) y'all don't miss out on the fluff , and b) so I can do a bit of world building. Do tell me if there's anything I need to improve on.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of its characters

* * *

"Thank you so much for allowing us to visit Hoshido," Azura said to Ryoma as the two of them walked down the dirt pathway surrounding the small pond in the garden outside Castle Shirasagi. Corrin followed closely behind, though he was distracted more often than not by the gentle cascade of pink sakura pedals falling around them.

Azura could only smile at the sight of seeing Corrin peering at the floating pedals in the water with a child-like expression of amazement. Turning back to face Ryoma, she continued saying, "I'm sorry if this was a bad time for us to visit or—"

"No no!" Ryoma said hastily. He rested a hand on Azura's shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. "It's no problem at all! Trust me, sister, everything is fine in Hoshido."

Azura frowned worriedly. "That's…not what the letters Camilla and Sakura sent us said," she said. "Weren't there rumors of rebellion in Hoshido?"

"There _had_ been talks of rebellion," Ryoma said irritably, as if he had to correct this statement multiple times in the last few days. "Last week, my men managed to arrest a large group of rebels who had been conspiring against the throne. Apparently, the group we arrested was the most notorious and largest group of traitors in Hoshido, and ever since the arrests, the other rebel groups have either dispersed completely or are simply lying in the shadows waiting for another opportunity to strike."

"It will most likely be the latter," Azura said gravely. "If the Hoshidan court is anything like Nohr's, there will always be those who would see themselves on the throne rather than you."

"Perhaps," Ryoma mused, rubbing his chin. "Luckily, Camilla is well-versed in the art of…let's just call it _negation_ , shall we?" Squeezing her shoulder again, he said, "Trust me, Azura. I have everything under control here in Hoshido, especially with Camilla's advice. And besides—you have your own kingdom to run _and_ you're on your honeymoon! There's no reason as to why you should be trying to solve problems that are mine and mine alone to deal with."

"It's…it's just a habit," Azura said, biting her tongue as she looked back at Corrin. He was now kneeling on the ground, his hand outstretched towards a small gaggle of geese swimming by the pond shore.

With a series of outraged honks and splashing water, two of the geese—parents, Azura guessed, based on their size and sudden aggression—rose out of the water and flapped furiously towards Corrin. Corrin yelped and scrambled backwards, landing on his bottom in the process. But the geese weren't done yet, however. With another series of angry cries, one of the geese rose out of the water and flew towards Corrin, its wings beating powerfully against Corrin's arms.

Struggling to hold back the tsunami of angry white feathers, Corrin cast a desperate, pleading look towards Azura and Ryoma. Azura took a step forward but paused when Ryoma put an arm protectively in front of her.

"Don't try it," he said. "The Hoshidan Snow Goose are known for their utter lack of intelligence when it comes to defending their young. They might put up a big show and make a racket, but trust me, Corrin's not in any real danger."

"You're asking me to trust you on a lot of things," Azura grumbled as she glared at Ryoma. "First your political problems, now a wild goose attacking my husband?"

"It's not wild," a new voice said from behind her.

Turning to address the speaker, Azura saw a young man walking towards them, a burlap sack slung over his shoulder and a wicked-looking broadsword sheathed next to his waist. He wore a simple white tunic underneath his navy-blue vest with the crest of the Hoshidan royal family stamped over the right breast in gold. His arms were bare, save for a bracer wrapped around his right forearm.

Azura was barely able to hide an uncharacteristic shudder as the man looked at her in the eyes, his chocolate-brown eyes flashing dangerously for a moment in the sunlight. Azura pressed a hand to her temple, a sudden headache blossoming as the young man bowed before her and Ryoma.

"Lord Ryoma," the man greeted, his voice silky smooth. Keeping in line with his appearance, he sounded rather young. Azura placed him as being younger than even her and Corrin, at around seventeen or eighteen years old.

"Ah, Sun Tian!" Ryoma said brightly, his eyebrows lifting in surprise. "A pleasure of you to join us! Is it time for you to feed your geese?"

Sun Tian cast an apathetic gaze at the sight of Corrin trying to pry himself free of the chokehold the goose somehow managed to perform on him, spluttering and cursing the whole time. "I'm not really sure, Lord Ryoma," he said sarcastically. "Though last time I checked, geese mainly preyed upon small bugs and insect— _not_ grown men."

"I'm so sorry about this!" Azura said hastily, bowing in apology. Normally, a queen like her would never bow to a lowly retainer, but the action was just a habit born out of years of ettiquete lessons. "We meant no trouble, my husband—"

"It's fine," Sun Tian sighed. Adjusting the sack over his shoulder, he trudged towards Corrin and expertly pried the goose off with a single hand.

As if sensing that this newcomer was something not to be trifled with, the goose reluctantly disengaged, though as it settled back in the water, it seemed to shoot Corrin a hateful glare. He shuddered at the sight.

"What'd you try to do?" Sun Tian asked as he reached into the sack and sprinkled some bird feed around the pond. Like bees drawn the honey, the geese eagerly swam towards the pile of feed in the pond and before long, the sound of outraged geese faded into nothing.

Corrin stammered and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Uh, well, I saw a baby duck and I thought it looked cute so I tried to pet it, but then it turned out that it's parent was nearby so we sort of got into an…altercation."

Sun Tian scoffed lightly. "An altercation is just putting It lightly," he said. "Take a look at yourself."

Expertly whipping out a small hand mirror, Sun Tian handed it to Corrin who gingerly took it in his hand. Corrin's eyes widened as he took in the extent of his wounds.

" _Wow_ ," he said, pressing a hand to a bruise that was already forming on his neck and cheek. "Never thought ducks could hit that hard."

"First off, they're not ducks—they're _geese_ ," Sun Tian correctly irritably. "Secondly, what were you thinking on trying to separate a baby from their mother? I don't know how much you know about animals, but trying to separate a mother from her child is a one-way trip to Shinigami's doorstep!"

"Shinigami?" Corrin asked curiously. "Who's that?"

Sun Tian's eyebrows rose in surprise. "You don't know?" he asked. "How do you not know? You're Hoshidan, aren't you? Shinigami is the Hoshidan god of death!"

Corrin blinked and rubbed his chin. "Huh," he said amicably. "Well I guess that makes a lot more sense than what I originally thought Shinigami was."

Sun Tian's eyebrows narrowed dangerously. "You…are Hoshidan, aren't you?" he asked again.

Azura tried to interrupt, sensing a trap, but Corrin managed to say, "In a way, yes."

Sun Tian's eyes narrowed even further. "'In a way, yes?'" he repeated. "What kind of answer is that? It's—"

"Well, that's enough of that now," Ryoma said sternly, glaring at Sun Tian. "Sun Tian, your geese are waiting for seconds, are they not? I suggest you feed them again before they kill another person."

The brown-haired retainer glowered and stared suspiciously at Corrin before swallowing and bowing again, this time in apology.

"Please forgive me," he said. "I have had…numerous experiences with Nohrians before, many of them unpleasant. I hope you can forgive my transgressions and rudeness."

"It's fine," Corrin said dismissively, waving a hand away. "Trust me, I know the feeling. I'm sorry for your loss."

Azura could see a vein pulsing in Sun Tian's temple, but to her relief, the young man simply stiffly bowed again before crouching down next to the geese to resume feeding them. Catching a subtle gesture from Ryoma, Azura grabbed Corrin's arm and pulled him away to follow Ryoma who had stepped out of earshot of Sun Tian.

"You must forgive me," Ryoma said remorsefully. "Sun Tian is not…normally like this, I promise. He's…he's just been through a lot these last few weeks."

"What happened?" Corrin asked curiously. "Did something happen or—"

"Don't intrude, Corrin!" Azura scolded.

"It's fine, Azura," Ryoma said, sighing. Adjusting his ceremonial headpiece, he explained, "Sun Tian had a…rough childhood. According to him, growing up, his father was never…all the way there, so to speak. As a child, Sun Tian wanted to learn all about animals and the like, but that dream was shattered when a pack of Faceless destroyed his village, killing almost everyone there, including his mother. Only a few survived, including his father. Afterwards, they…they drifted apart, for lack of a better term. He wanted to find a way to strike back against the Nohrians, but by the time he entered my service as a replacement for Kagero, peace had already been achieved between Hoshido and Nohr."

"Didn't look like he got the message," Corrin mused.

Ryoma glanced at Sun Tian, who was still crouching over the pond, gently feeding the geese. "I thought he did," he said. "At first, he had been polite with visiting Nohrians—even friendly—but ever since his father died last month, he's been…moody, to say the least. You know, lashing out, saying hurtful things. Those kinds of things."

"He's still young," Azura reminded gently. "I'm sure he'll come around soon enough."

"I hope so," Ryoma said gravely before shaking his head.

"What am I saying?" he asked. "The Dragon Boat Festival is upon us, and here we are, talking about such depressing matters. We should be celebrating, not moping about!

Corrin frowned. "I overheard you two talking earlier. Azura said something about whispers of rebellions or something, didn't she? How do we know that these rebels won't try something during the festival?"

Ryoma smiled gently and patted Corrin on the shoulder. "I see that being king has improved your ability to become a worrywart," he said teasingly. "Don't worry, little brother. The Dragon Boat Festival is one of Hoshido's most sacred holidays due to it warding off evil spirits and animals for the rest of the year. None would dare to interrupt such an important and sacred event."

Corrin glanced worriedly at Azura who took his hand in return and squeezed.

"I hope you're right," he said.

The rest of the garden walk passed in silence.

* * *

Later that day, when the sun was about to kiss the horizon and the Hoshidan people were preparing to start the festival, Azura and Corrin found themselves in the guest suite Ryoma had allowed them to live in. The suite was a far cry from their own room back in New Valla.

Instead of having a large bed, they slept instead on a simple straw mattress that was low to the ground. In fact, _everything_ was low to the ground: the tables, the pads they used instead of chairs, the toiletries. Azura, having lived in Hoshido for the better part of her life adjusted relatively easily to this new lifestyle. On the other hand, Corrin, having lived in Nohr for most of his life found the sudden change a bit jarring, though he mostly managed to adjust quickly as well.

Mostly.

"Hey, um, Azura?" he called.

"Hm?"

"What's the whole story behind this Dragon Boat Festival thing?" Corrin asked from where he was standing in front of the full-body mirror in the guest suite Ryoma had lent them for the duration of their stay. "Ryoma said something about it warding evil spirits or something, but what do you know about it?"

As she slipped on the kimono Hinoka had lent her, Azura closed her eyes as she tried to remember back to those old history lessons her tutors had taught her in her childhood. "I…I don't remember much," she said reluctantly, unhappy that she was forgetting some of her childhood memories. When one's childhood was spent mostly trying to survive the horrors of a Nohrian court and running away from a mad dragon, one usually holds those little moments in higher esteem.

"Just a few random snippets of some old text saying that the month Dragon Boat Festival happens during is supposedly cursed," she explained. "Apparently, it's during this time that poisonous creatures like snakes, scorpions, and other animals start showing up, so people do everything from burning incense to ward off evil spirits to people cutting out pictures of those poisonous creatures, pasting them to a wall, and sticking a needle through them."

Corrin shuddered. "That's…that's pretty scary, when you think about it."

Azura nodded in agreement. "That's why even though we're _supposed_ to do those things, we usually just perform and showcase gifts to each other instead. It's supposed to show how grateful we are to one another for being here and whatnot. The usual."

"Gift…showcasing?" Corrin asked questioningly. "What's the story behind that?"

"Oh, I know this one!" Azura said excitedly. "According to ancient Hoshidan lore, there was a famous poet who was exiled because people accused him of treason when he opposed the formation of an alliance between his kingdom and a rival kingdom. When his kingdom finally fell, the poet committed suicide by drowning himself in the river flowing outside Castle Shirasagi, and because the local people loved and admired him for his beautiful works of poetry, they built boats to try and retrieve his body."

"That's…morbid," Corrin noted. "Did they ever find the body?"

Azura shrugged before looking at herself critically in the mirror next to Corrin. "I don't think so, but I'm not sure. It's just a legend, after all," she said. "Anyways, I think the legend goes like this afterwards: they couldn't find the body, but because they didn't want the fish in the river to eat the poet's carcass, they dropped balls of sticky rice into the river for the fish to eat instead, and that's basically the history of Hoshido's Dragon Boat Races."

"That's it?" Corrin asked, surprised. "No happy ending, no conclusion—that's it? They dropped a few sticky rice balls into a river to prevent fishes from eating a poet's body because he drowned himself?"

"Unlike Nohrian legends, Hoshidan folklore tends to focus more on remembering the sacrifices of great people in the past," Azura said drily. "Now hurry up, we're going to be late if you don't finish getting dressed."

Corrin looked down at the ceremonial white robes he was wearing. "But I am!" he pouted. "What more do you want from me?"

"No, you're not," she said, rolling her eyes. She walked over to a chair where a red scarf was hanging on its back. Ignoring the sounds of Corrin's struggles, she promptly yanked the garment over Corrin's head and fiddled with it until she was satisfied with its appearance.

"Are you done yet?" Corrin asked exasperatedly when she backed away.

Azura ran a critical eye over her husband's figure again, her eyes lingering for just a bit too long on his face. Noticing her staring, Corrin tried for a cocky smile and was rewarded by a sheepish grin and blush from Azura.

"It'll do," she said, quickly turning around to check herself in the mirror. She kept her normal white head dressing out of pure habit, but other than that, she had shed her normal white and gold attire for something a bit more…Hoshidan. As was tradition in Hoshido, she wore a kimono, though it was light blue in color and decorated with a few patches of flowers etched in gold.

"What about me?" she asked. "Am I good?"

Corrin ran a critical eye over her figure, his gaze staring longer than usual on some certain… _areas._ "Yep, you look good," he said truthfully.

Azura rolled her eyes in affectionate exasperation as she carefully set a stray strand of blue hair peeking out from underneath her habit in place. " _Good_ isn't good enough, you know," she said in a posh voice. "I have to be _perfect_."

"You're already perfect, Azura," Corrin said. He then walked over to and opened the door and bowed in an overly-exaggerated doorman posture. "Shall we, milady?" he asked in a suave voice.

Azura smiled. "We shall," she said, equally charmingly. As she walked towards the door, she took a moment to pick up a red and gold paper fan from their nightstand.

"What's that for?" Corrin asked as she walked past him.

In response, Azura merely snapped the fan open in front of her face. She fluttered her eyebrows and she swore she saw Corrin physically swoon before her for a moment.

"A-ah," he stammered, visibly flustered. "I see."

Azura smiled and snapped the fan closed again before extending her left arm so Corrin could loop his arm through hers. Without hesitation, he did so, and Azura instinctively rested her other hand on his arm, pressing herself closer to him.

Looking up at Corrin and fluttering her eyebrows again, she asked, "Now then. Shall we be off?"

Corrin smiled. "Of course, my beloved one."

"…"

"…"

"That…was…"

"That was _definitely_ cheesy, even by my standards," Corrin finished. He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Sorry about that."

"It's fine," Azura said, laughing lightly. "You're lucky I'm not allergic to dairy."

* * *

The festival passed in a blur for Azura. Even if she tried to remember, she couldn't…

She remembered spinning in circles while holding Corrin's hands, the taste of honey and sake on her tongue, the taste of strawberries on Corrin's, which made kissing him all the sweeter, and the smell of sakura and peach and plum trees blossoming in the air…

She remembered watching a dozen Hoshidan ninja perching themselves on the corners of the rooftops, silently watching the festivities below, making sure the peace was kept. She pointed them out to Corrin delightfully, but in the noise of the festivities, she wasn't sure if he heard her or not. All he did was smile and nod before pressing his strawberry-tasting lips to her cheeks…

She remembered sitting against Corrin on his lap, almost straddling him, as he stared daggers at the kitsune who was being petted by Sakura. The kitsune simply waggled his eyebrows at him and stuck his tongue out before arching his back when Sakura scratched his back. Azura gently pressed a palm to Corrin's chest to calm him down and he reluctantly eased back down before ordering another cup of sake. Azura slapped it out of her hands, scolding him before ordering a drink herself…

She remembered endless poems and songs, some mournful and grieving for lost ones, others joyful and thanking the spirits for allowing peace to be held—mostly both. Even Azura herself performed her signature song and dance, with Corrin playing beautifully alongside her. Everyone gathered to listen to them…

She remembered the wonders she saw during the celebration, many of which a foreigner would've deemed both beautiful and impossible. Corrin especially gasped and clapped his hands in wonder, similar to that of a child, as endless waves of puzzles and toys, art and ceremonial weapons, dances and swordplays paraded past him…

One particular merchant had a magically-enchanted glass ball that showed a different flower appearing within its heart every few seconds. Another proclaimed that he had spent decades travelling the land and memorizing the sound of the elements, the most beautiful of which he now played from a wide array of instruments. Another contributed a wooden shield with the entirety of Hoshido's lands carved masterfully into its surface. No detail was excluded, and Azura gasped in amazement as she realized that the artist had also carved miniscule houses in the wooden cities, and that there were even signs with readable Hoshidan words carved onto them…

She remembered Ryoma walking up to a podium raised above the crowd to deliver a speech. The crowd cheered and respectfully fell silent before breaking out into cheering again, this time with even greater intensity when Corrin and Azura walked up to the stage. Azura habitually hid herself behind Corrin, shyly covering her face while Corrin simply smiled and waved good-naturedly at the crowd before him before directing their attention back to Ryoma…

"…and we can only thank two people for letting us celebrate today without fear of war or strife between our two nations," Ryoma said, his deep voice magically altered so his voice rang and echoed across the city. "Corrin, the king of Valla and his wife, Azura, the queen of Valla!"

The crowd cheered and Azura swore she felt the podium shake beneath her feet as she and Corrin stood up and bowed. Ryoma bent over and whispered something to Corrin, who shook his head. Seemingly disappointed, Ryoma turned back to the crowd and proclaimed, "And with that, return to your festivities! I say this not as your king or lord, but as a friend! Rejoice, I say! Rejoice!"

Tilting her head quizzingly, she mouthed _What's going on?_

Corrin shook her head and squeezed her hand, buying Azura's silence. As the two of them retreated into the back of the dais and down the stairs at the back to return to their festivities, someone grasped Azura by the wrist, causing her to gasp in surprise and press herself against Corrin.

Corrin reacted instantly, protectively planting himself between Azura and the offender. To his surprise, the offender was none other than Takumi. His stern expression dropped to that of surprise before morphing back into a serious expression again.

"What do you want?" he asked, keeping his voice deadly calm.

"Nothing," Takumi said casually, his voice equally level, though there was a certain… _slur_ to his speech pattern that tipped Azura off with the fact that he wasn't exactly sober. "Just wanted to tell you that just because people were cheering for you tonight doesn't mean they forgot how our mother died protecting _you,_ an outsider."

Azura frowned. Takumi had always been blunt, both in words and actions, but this was certainly unusual. He was never this forward, even with Corrin. Catching the way how Corrin's fist unconsciously clenched themselves at his sides, Azura knew she had to do something before a national crisis occurred.

Planting herself between Corrin and Takumi, she rested a palm on Corrin's chest and gently pushed him back. "Don't," she warned, a hint of steel and worry in her voice as she glanced back warily at Takumi who was also clenching his fists and tensing up. "It's late and we aren't exactly thinking clearly right now. We shouldn't do anything we'll regret later."

Corrin closed his eyes and breathed out, unclenching his fists. He understood what Azura was trying to say. It was impossible for him to get drunk, of course, but Takumi on the other hand…well Takumi wasn't exactly half-dragon, now was he?

"Fine," he mumbled before turning and walking away.

Azura looped her arm in his and glanced back worriedly as Takumi shouted behind them, "She died protecting you, _brother!"_

"He's drunk right now," Azura reminded Corrin as he stiffened. "Trust me, he doesn't mean it."

"I…I know," Corrin said, his voice suspiciously thick though when he looked down at Azura, there were no signs of emotion on his face. And that worried her. "I know he's not himself right now but…but…can we just go back to the festival? Please?"

Azura tried for a smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. She too had just realized that Queen Mikoto would never see her son and daughter-in-law together like this.

"Of course we can," she said gently.

* * *

The night continued to drag on, and Azura eventually found herself back in their bedroom chamber. She gasped and arched her back, her eyes rolling in ecstasy as Corrin gently nuzzled that spot between her legs. When all was said and done, she cuddled up next to Corrin, one hand wrapped in his and the other resting possessively on his chest. Likewise, One of Corrin's arms was wrapped around her, forming a pillow better than even the pegasi down pillows they had back home in New Valla.

Outside, the sounds of the festivities continued, though much more subdued than they had been just a few hours ago. As the festival dragged on, more and more retired for the night until it was only the most fanatical or determined of people left celebrating outside.

A loud _crash_ sounded outside, possibly the result of a drunken man running into a wagon. A loud roar of laughter rose up from where the crash sounded, but Azura still flinched and tensed up, tightening her hold on Corrin.

He squeezed her back reassuringly and whispered, "It's nothing, Azura. Probably just a couple of people having a bit too much to drink."

"I think _we_ had too much to drink," Azura moaned. She groaned in pain as a another headache blossomed in her forehead, casuing her to squeeze her eyes shut and knead her forehead with her knuckles.

Corrin simply chuckled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. It didn't make the pain go away, nor did Azura expect it to, but it helped a little.

Just a little bit.

The two of them were drenched in sweat (or at least Corrin was. He was the one who did the all the hard work, after all) following their latest _activity_. It had been perfect, like every other time they had done it, but this time, with her head rested on Corrin's arm and a gentle buzzing in her head, Azura couldn't help but feel… _guilty._

"I'm sorry," she whispered, tracing circles on Corrin's bare chest. "I'm so sorry…"

"What for?" Corrin asked, looking down at her in confusion. "What're you sorry for?"

Azura turned and buried her head in Corrin's chest. "I knew you said you didn't want to have sex again anytime soon, and yet…"

Corrin couldn't help but chuckle at Azura's sudden depressive state. "Gods, you are _so_ drunk!" he laughed.

Azura frowned, both at the sudden movement of his chest and at his teasing of her. "So?" she asked sullenly. "So what if I am?"

Corrin laughed again and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I knew I said I didn't want to have sex all the time, but I think once a week is a good enough, you know? I mean, back then, we were practically having it every day, and I think that started to wear on me a bit. Maybe once or twice a week is enough for me. Maybe even three, if I'm feeling up to it."

When Azura remained silent, Corrin glanced down at her and was prompted by the sight of her fast asleep, her breathing slow and deep. Corrin smiled and pressed a kiss into her hair before drawing her closer to himself.

* * *

A/N: Hope this'll satisfy you guys until next month because I'll be taking a temporary hiatus. Life and all that.


	51. (M) Bitter Intrigue

_A/N:_ Hey y'all! I'm back, and I'm finally done finalizing the plot for Arc 5. Only problem is that I haven't written it yet, but trust me, if I ever get to it, it won't disappoint. Also, Three Houses?

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of its characters.

* * *

 _"Charlotte…I've…I've…"_

 _The words suddenly felt heavy in his mouth, as if they were made of lead. Half a minute ago, they felt as light as balloons, able to be juggled about in whichever way he pleased, but now that the moment was upon them, Xander found himself stumbling over his words. Very unbecoming for the crown prince of Nohr._

 _Charlotte frowned and tapped her foot impatiently on the floor, arms crossed over her chest. "Well?" she asked, "I've what?"_

 _Xander cleared his throat. It was now or never. If he didn't tell her right now, he would never be able to. Steeling his resolve, he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a small velvet box and shakily got down on one knee._

 _Charlotte's frown deepened, but Xander could also tell by her eyes that she was also intrigued, and if his intuition was right, she was just as nervous as him._

 _"X-Xander? What are you—"_

 _"Charlotte, I've f-felt a strong attraction towards you from the first moment we met. I-I would've said something sooner, but with this whole damned war going on, I-I wasn't able to properly speak to you about my…my feelings towards you. But part of my hesitation towards you was also because I felt a relationship between us would be too…complicated."_

 _Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Are you kidding me? How could any of this be complicated?"_

 _Xander's lips tightened. She really wasn't making this easy, was she?_

 _"I thought at first that the crown prince of Nohr should choose someone with…with more noble blood than you."_

 _Oops._

 _Charlotte scowled, the lines on her face deepening. "What are you trying say about me, huh? You saying I'm not good enough for you?"_

 _Xander hastily stood back up and waved his hands frantically. "No, no!" he said hurriedly. "I would give up the kingdom for you! It's just that—"_

 _Charlotte smirked, then she began to giggle until she was finally laughing so hard that she had to snort. Confused, Xander stared at her._

 _"What's so funny?" he asked. "Did I say something—"_

 _"No, no!" Charlotte wheezed, doubling over. "I'm not laughing at you! I'm just laughing because you have_ no _idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that!"_

 _Xander's eyebrow furrowed, though he could feel Charlotte's mirth spreading over him. "Say…what?" he asked._

 _"That you would give up the kingdom for me!" Charlotte replied, still laughing. "You know what my parents would say to that?"_

 _"Your…parents?" Xander asked, still confused by her mirth. "Uh, I don't know. What would they say?"_

 _"They…they would probably ask where I got all the money from!" Charlotte exclaimed. "Imagine the look on their face once I tell them I got engaged to_ the _crown prince of Nohr!"_

 _Xander's brain all but short-circuited in that moment. "Y-you mean you accept? You agree to marry me?"_

 _"'Agree?'" Charlotte said, "Please, Xander, you_ know _I want to marry you! What didja think I was gonna say? 'No?' Don't make me laugh."_

 _Xander's jaw dropped in both amazement and unfiltered joy. "I—uh—I'm speechless. I…I have no…you have no idea how glad it makes me to hear you say such things! I-I—"_

 _He probably would've continued standing there, stammering, had Charlotte not suddenly thrown her arms around his shoulders and pressed her lips to his own. If Xander's brain had short-circuited before, his head all but exploded when the plumpness of Charlotte's lips met his hard, tight ones._

 _Without realizing it, he moved his hands to her waist and hips to pull her closer together. As abruptly as the kiss started, Charlotte suddenly pulled away. There was a light in her eyes that Xander had not seen before, one that warmed him to his very soul._

 _"I love you," she breathed, her face close enough to Xander's that he could feel her breath blowing over his face. Her golden curls suddenly seemed brighter than ever before and he couldn't tear his eyes away from her olive-colored ones._

 _"I love you so much. I've been dreaming about this moment for ages…I'm so glad I'm still alive to see it…"_

* * *

A sudden _boom_ echoed around the room, causing Xander to jerk in his throne as his eyes darted wildly around the room, all traces of exhaustion gone.

"Who's there?" he demanded. "Show yourself!"

"'Tis only I," Laslow replied coolly as he stepped out from nehind a pillar, his voice jaunty and jovial as always. "No need to declare war on Ylisse for disturbing your nap, milord."

"I was not sleeping," Xander growled, sitting up straight in the throne and adjusting his crown. "A king never rests."

"The one from my homeland does," Laslow replied.

Xander scowled and turned away. "What were you even doing, hiding behind pillars?" he asked. "I don't seem to remember giving you permission to enter the throne room."

Laslow sighed and slumped his shoulders momentarily before drawing them back up. "I know," he said sullenly. "I know you don't want to see anyone when you're…'busy,' but I'm worried about you. We all are."

"Don't be," Xander said. He idly grasped Siegfried's hilt and turned the weapon over, examining it in the light. "I'm sure you and my siblings have more important matters on their minds than me."

"That's not true." Laslow slightly dipped his head, obscuring his eyes with his hair. "Forgive me if I'm overstepping my boundaries, but I think it's about time we talked about…this." He vaguely gestured towards Xander.

The corners of Xander's lips lifted in what could almost pass for a smile. Laslow, Odin, and Selena always managed to work some amount of amusement out of him with their… _eccentric_ mannerisms.

"You just gestured towards all of me," Xander said dryly, shifting on his throne.

"Exactly," Laslow replied. He looked up towards Xander again and Xander was shocked to see the fire behind those gray eyes.

"You're not well," Laslow said. "You haven't been well ever since, well, ever since Charlo—"

"Do not speak her name!" Xander thundered, bolting to his feet and pointing a gauntleted fist down towards Laslow. "We've had this conversation before, Laslow. You are not to utter her name in my presence!"

Laslow scowled. "This is exactly what I'm talking about! Ever since her death, you've been nothing but a recluse! You shut yourself away in whatever office you deem yours and only come out when someone seeks you out! Every time Camilla or Elise sneaks into your office in the dead of night, they always see you working! You need sleep, milord!"

Xander hid his scowl by turning his head to look out the newest addition to the throne room—massive stained-glass windows detailing the First War, the Concubine War, and the Invisible War. As ugly as Nohr's history might have been, it was history all the same, and in Leo's words, "Only through trial and error can humanity as a civilization grow and evolve."

Before him, on the bottom step of the dais, Laslow sighed and shook his head. "You can't keep doing this to yourself, milord. Nohr doesn't just need a king right now—they need _hope_ , a purpose to strive towards. You think you're doing Nohr a favor by working yourself to the bone, but trust me—I've seen a friend do that once, and it nearly killed him and everyone else he was supposed to protect because he wasn't able to focus when they needed him most."

"A tactician and a king are two very different beasts," Xander countered. "A tactician is only responsible for making sure the army lives to see another day. A king is responsible for making sure the kingdom lives through their lifetime."

"That may be true," Laslow said, "but ask yourself this, milord: can a kingdom really be alive if their king is dead on the inside?"

Xander bristled. "You go too far, Laslow. I am _not_ dead. I am very much alive."

"That's what you think you look like," Laslow continued. "You think you look normal, that you act normal. You wake up in the morning, eat some breakfast, do kingly duties for the day, eat dinner, then go to bed. You _think_ that's what you do, but that's not what you do at all."

"Laslow…" Xander growled warningly.

"I may be your retainer, but I would also dare to call myself your friend!" Laslow said, almost shouting. "But right now, all I feel that I am is simply your caretaker! You keep working yourself to the bone, pushing yourself to an almost-inhuman level! Not only are you being a bad king by working yourself to the bone, but you're also tarnishing Charlotte's spirit by locking yourself away from."

"That's enough, Laslow!" Xander said sharply, but Laslow would not be deterred.

"I know you hate living without Charlotte—I felt the same way the first few days I was in this world—but shutting yourself away, working yourself to the bone, lashing out at anybody who wants to help, that's not what Charlotte would've wanted! She—"

"Enough!" Xander roared. Laslow begrudgingly clamped his lips shut, though Xander could in his eyes that he wished to continue.

Xander rose from the throne, knees audibly cracking. Pointing down at Laslow with a gauntleted hand, he growled, "So long as I am king, I will not tolerate any disobedience from my servants. Not even you are exempt from that law, Laslow. Am I understood?"

Laslow's jaw worked, as if he were chewing on a bitter piece of wood. Finally, his jaw loosened, and he clasped his hands behind his back, feet shoulder-width apart.

"Very well then," he said curtly. "I'm used to putting my life in the hands of some else's. First it was Robin, then it was Anankos. After that, it was yours, then Lord Corrins, and finally, back to you. But I can no longer serve you."

Xander blinked. "What?"

Tightening his fists, Laslow stepped forward and looked up defiantly up at the Nohrian King. "As a member of the Sheperds, I took an oath, not just to myself or my friends, but to the kingdom of Ylisse, and to humanity as a whole. When I joined the Sheperds, I swore I would protect the weak, that I would do everything in my power to protect the innocent. When Owain, Severa, and I first came to Nohr, all three of us were hesitant about helping Nohr. At first, we thought Nohr was the 'bad guy,' but we soon came to realize that despite all the atrocities Garon and his minions committed towards both the people of Hoshido and Nohr, by helping Nohr's side, we would help Lord Corrin fulfill his destiny of killing Anankos and saving this world. But now that Anankos is dead, and now that peace has been restored, I can see that if I continue to support you, you will do irreparable harm to both yourself and the kingdom. You're stuck in the past, your majesty. You refuse to move on, and as cold and brutal as it may sound, the only choice you have is to move on and leave her behind. It's natural to mourn the dead, but if you start killing yourself in the present in favor of living with her in the past…then that's a path I refuse to follow you down towards."

Xander stared blankly towards Laslow. "You're…y-you're leaving me?"

Laslow nodded. "If words can't change your mind, then the absence of a friend might."

"B-but you have nothing!" Xander protested. "Odin and Selena have already left! You have nothing in this world! You're nothing without me!"

Laslow cocked his head. "I wouldn't go so far to call me 'nothing,' Xander. Sure, I may be _poor_ , but I'm certainly not nothing."

Growling, Xander walked menacingly down towards the stairs and jabbed a finger in Laslow's chest. The shorter man did not even budge. Instead, he glanced down towards the gloved hand and stared back at Xander defiantly.

"As your king," Xander started, "I _order_ you to stay."

To Xander's shock, all Laslow did was reach up, take the hand that was jabbing a finger into his chest, and wrench it off of him.

"I'm afraid I cannot," Laslow said calmly before turning on his heels and marching out of the throne room. Before closing the massive door behind him, Laslow called out, "You were my friend, Xander! I would've done anything for you, laid down my life for you! But I can't do this…I can't stand by idly and do nothing as you run yourself into the ground. I'm sorry, Xander, but this is the only way."

And with that, the massive doors boomed shut, leaving the entire room in darkness save from a small circle of light on the throne and the dais it rested on.

Xander crumpled to his knees. Beside him, Siegfried clattered noisily to the floor. He made no move to retrieve the weapon, the check for any scratches or other forms of damage. It wouldn't have worked anyways.

Ever since Anankos' death, the five legendary weapons had fallen silent. The weapons still worked as well as ever, but they lacked the _energy_ they had before. Once upon a time, Xander could use Siegfried to summon waves of darkness to obliterate his opponents, but now the weapon was no different from a common broadsword, albeit one of masterful quality.

Ryoma and Corrin reported the same, stating that they were no longer able to harness the power of lightning or light the sacred fires, respectively. It was Leo, as usual, who hypothesized that the weapons must've been tied to Anankos' life force in some way. With the mad dragon vanquished, there was no need for the weapons anymore and as such, they fell into an eternal slumber, waiting for the day Anankos would return. Thankfully, such a day would never come, courtesy of Corrin and Azura's efforts.

Leaning forward, Xander clutched at his head. Gods, how low must he stoop to send away his only confidant? How worthless he must be to be stricken by such thoughts such as these?

He was a king, dammit! A king should always put his people and country first and foremost! He shouldn't be dragged down by the confines and invisible prisons of his mind! He already felt this way once before, once upon a time. He thought he had escaped it, beat it into oblivion, yet with Charlotte gone…it had returned…

 _Charlotte…_

The back of Xander's throat suddenly tasted bitter. He remembered stumbling around the battlefield, hoarsely calling out her name until he found her, dead, in the middle of a circle of slain enemies. He remembered the shock he felt at the pool of red beneath her frame, the golden curls of her hair stained black.

He remembered dropping to his knees and cradling her body in his arms. He remembered stroking a curl out of her face as he hugged her tight to his chest and cried. He cursed Anankos. He cursed the Dusk Dragon. He cursed Corrin. He cursed the whole damned world, but most of all, he cursed himself.

He never should've brought her into the final battle. He should've fought harder to keep her out, to keep her back in the astral plane. She had objected, stating that it was her duty to fight alongside him, not just as a guard, but also as his future wife. And so, begrudgingly, he let her fight in the final battle.

Slowly, robotically, Xander felt his body move. He felt himself sit himself back on his throne, Siegfried's hilt in his right hand, the tip planted into the ground.

Then, a single tear dropped onto the ground.

* * *

When Leo turned the corner to see Laslow storming out of the throne room, he immediately noticed the way his eyes were stormy. His shoulders were hunched and his fists tightened.

Something must've gone wrong between him and Laslow, Leo realized.

Breaking out into a quick jog, Leo waved his arms and called out after Laslow. "Laslow! Laslow!"

The gray-haired man stopped and turned. The utter look of sadness in his eyes drove Leo to a halt and he found himself standing fifteen feet away from the man.

"X-Xander," he said. "I-is he—"

"Oh, he's still very much alive," Laslow said sardonically. "He's just so lost in the memories of the past that I've had to separate myself from him in the hopes that he can recover."

The way he worded those words caused something to click inside Leo's head, and his eyes widened in shock. "You're leaving us?" he asked.

Laslow shook his head. "Well, yes, but actually no. I'm still going to stay here, mind you. I'm…just going to be spending some more time at home with Peri, you know?"

Leo swallowed and nodded. _Show no emotion, you are a statue. Show no emotion, you are a statue._

"I see then," he said. He brushed some imaginary lint off his shoulder. "Where is he right now?"

Laslow jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "He's still in there. Either way, I'm done with him for today."

In a rare moment of emotion, Leo reached out and rested a hand on Laslow's shoulder. "You've served us well, Laslow. I hope you return to us soon."

Laslow nodded. "Well, not that soon, I hope. I'm getting rather tired of waking up every day before the sun rises just so I can spar with your brother in the morning."

Chuckling, Leo patted him once on the back before turning towards the massive doors leading into the throne room.

After seeing the beautiful oak doors with gold decorations in Old Valla, Xander and Leo decided to renovate their current throne room doors, getting wide of the ebony-black insignia of Nohr in favor of silver-tinted notches detailing the Dusk Dragon and Anankos' downfall.

Nervously, Leo opened the door, eyes squinting into the darkness. That wasn't good, Leo thought to himself. Whenever an emotionally compromised person isolated themselves in the dark, that was when you knew it was serious.

 _At least it doesn't smell like a dead body in here. Yet._

In the center of the throne room, resting on the throne, was Xander. His feet was planted squarely on the floor, and Siegfried held in his right hand, the tip planted into the floor. Leo couldn't see his eyes from his angle, but he could tell by the way his head was bowed that he was either asleep or he was brooding.

Neither of those options sounded particularly favorable to Leo.

"Xander?" he called out. "You…are you still alive, or should I call a doctor?"

"What do you want?" Xander rumbled, and Leo felt his lower lip tremble at the utter _lack_ of emotion in his brother's words.

"How…how are you doing?" he continued. "Feeling better about yourself yet?"

"Define 'better.'"

Good, so Xander was still capable of humor it seems. Let's just see if we can get it all the way back up to where it used to be.

"Laslow filled me in," Leo said, walking slowly towards the slumped-over figure. "I know you're going through some tough times right now, but trust me, Xander. We're your friends. We want to help you. _Let_ us help you."

"There's no need for it," Xander said, shifting. "These are my burdens and my burdens alone. There is no need for you or Camilla or anyone else to suffer because of my own lack of self-control over my emotions."

Leo sighed again and knelt down in front of the bottom step of the dais. "I think you're getting that mentality from me, if I'm being honest," he said. "I know I'm cold and heartless and insensitive at times, but I hope you know it's all an act. I have to _look_ cold and heartless and insensitive because I'm always put in charge of planning battle tactics. I can't let emotions affect the way I run an army, and…I guess that sort of mentality passed onto me, even as it passed onto you."

Leo paused for moment to give Xander a moment to speak. When he said nothing, Leo sighed again and said, "Trust me, Xander. I know this whole situation is about as feasible as trusting Corrin in the kitchen, but believe me, there's a way out of this."

"Is there now?" Xander asked.

"There is indeed," Leo replied. "I know life may seem like it's not worth living right now without Charlotte, but believe me, Xander. There's more to life than just love."

"You've been reading too many romance novels," Xander rumbled. "I'm your senior by almost eight years."

"And yet you're acting like you're eight years old," Leo said. Xander stiffened and some perverse part of Leo took pleasure in know he had cracked his brooding, stoic shell.

"You're the king of Nohr, Xander," Leo said. "How can you do this to yourself when everyone's trying to help you?"

A sharp intake of breath was all Leo needed to hear for him to continue.

"Xander: King of Nohr, Wielder of Siegfried, Lord of Darkness. Sounds like a legend, not a sad man sitting in a chair with a rusty sword in his hand."

 _God, I really hope this works. If not…then I guess Nohr's going to be missing another prince._

Leo rose to his feet and gestured towards Xander. "Look at yourself! King of Nohr, Wielder of Siegfried, Lord of Darkness, sitting in a chair, bemoaning his dead wife. What would Charlotte think if she saw you like this?"

Another sharp intake of breath of Xander was accompanied by an audible tightening of the fists this time. Xander rose to his feet, and Leo took a step back, eyes darting around as he tried to find the closest exit. Just in case…

 _Alright, main door thirty feet behind me. Servant's gate twelve feet to the left, behind the pillar with the crack in the shape of a swirl on it…_

"I miss Charlotte just as much as you do, Xander, and I doubt she would've done what she did if she knew you would still be around after she died, but all you're doing right now by shutting yourself away is hurting us! Camilla, Elise, Corrin, Azura, Laslow…we're all here for you! You don't need to—"

Xander moved so quickly, all Leo saw was a blur before he felt himself being lifted off the ground. When his eyes adjusted, he found Xander lifting him up, one hand clutching tightly to the front of his shirt while the other was drawn back in a fist.

"Don't…do you think you can replace her?" he growled. "Nothing can!"

"I know," Leo said simply, his face expressionless. "But we're all you have. I know we're nowhere close to what Charlotte meant to you, but we _are_ her for you. Nothing is going to change that."

The two of them stared into each other before Xander blinked before suddenly dropping Leo and collapsing back into his chair. As Leo picked himself off the floor, Xander clutched at his head.

"Oh gods," he moaned. "I'm so sorry, Leo. I'm so sorry for that. Can…can you—"

"No apologies needed," Leo said earnestly, resting a hand on Xander's shoulder. "I know it's hard. I'm pretty sure even Corrin would've been in the same state of mind you are now had he lost Azura, but _don't worry,_ Xander. We're all here for you. We'll do everything we can to support you, no matter the cost."

Xander remained silent for a few moments, during which Leo held his breath. He was no therapist, and he was _definitely_ not someone people should come to for emotional support, but Xander was…different. He needed someone who went through the same kind of trauma, someone who could relate.

He needed _family._

"Fine then," Xander finally said. "I'm…I'm ready."

"Good, good," Leo said, nodding. He put an arm around Xander's shoulders and quick him a quick squeeze. "Now all we need to do is clear up some loose ends."

* * *

Laslow would've been lying if he had said that was surprised to see Xander barge into the dinky little bar he was taking refuge in, along with a contingent of guards. Almost instantly, the sounds of chatter in the bar ground to a halt as each resident cautiously eyed the new arrivals, with some gasping and averting their eyes as they realized who the man in black armor was.

Laslow made no move to hide himself or shrink away as Xander's gaze swept around the room. Upon seeing Laslow sitting by himself in a booth next to the latrines (which unfortunately had swinging doors), Xander motioned to the nearest guard and whispered something into the man's ear.

Bashing a fist against his breastplate, the captain turned and motioned for the rest of the guards to move everyone out of the building, including the bartender. After a few minutes of protesting bar residents, swear words, threats, and people scrambling to bring their drink out with them (only for the bartender to tell them firmly no), Xander pulled up a chair and sat in front of Laslow, who continued to feign an air of indifference as he swished around the liquid in his glass. Behind them, the guards fanned out, keeping a watchful eye for any eavesdroppers and intruders but keeping a tasteful distance away from the two men.

For a few moments, neither of them spoke a word to each other. Xander nervously tapped his fingers on his leg while Laslow drank idly from his drink. Finally, after a minute or so of tense silence, Xander cleared his throat.

"Laslow, I—"

The gray-haired man interrupted him by simply holding up a finger. Surprised, Xander fell silent as Laslow took another sip.

Resting the glass back on the table, Laslow looked up at Xander and said, "I assume Prince Leo already talked some sense into you?"

Xander swallowed and averted his gaze. "He did. He promised to help me…help me get better."

Laslow nodded slowly but returned his gaze to his drink, thumb idly rubbing the edges of the top. "I…know it can be difficult to admit that you need help. Hell, it's difficult for everyone." Laslow looked back up at Xander. "I just want you to know that I'll always be beside you, milord, both as a friend and as a retainer."

"There's one thing I don't understand," Xander said. "Why did you leave in the first place?"

Laslow sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Ah…that's…that's a tough question to answer. I think the simplest answer is…seeing you like that back in the throne room reminded me of a friend who went through a similar experience."

When Xander remained silent, Laslow continued, "You remember Robin, the strategist, don't you? Remember what Owain, Severa, and I told you about his history, that he was essentially bred to be the perfect vassal for Grima? Well, one of Grima's servants was able to take control of his body and used it to steal the Fire Emblem—our version, of course—and almost killed Chrom, as well his daughter. Remember all that?"

Xander nodded. "Vaguely."

"Well, after that, let's just say Robin wasn't…in the best of moods. He became erratic, short-tempered. He lashed out at anything that was even a slight bit out of order and pushed himself to the absolute limit. Sound familiar?"

"But he overcame it, didn't he?" Xander asked, leaning forward. "What did he do to overcome it? How did he do them?"

Laslow shrugged. "Many things," he said. "Chrom tried to beat some sense into him—literally. His daughter tried to be there for him, both physically and emotionally, but even she wasn't enough. In the end…the only cure was himself."

Xander raised an eyebrow. "Himself?"

Laslow nodded. "Himself," he reaffirmed. "He realized that by hurting himself, he was hurting others, so he just…changed. Became more mature, relatively speaking."

Resting an arm on the table, Laslow leaned forward and tapped a finger on Xander's chest. "You see what I'm trying to say here?" he asked. "We all want to help you— _I_ want to help you—but we can only help you if you start to help yourself. Cut the self-destructive behavior. Learn some breathing exercises to deal with your anger. The best way to heal isn't to let your friends and family help you. The best way is for you to decide if you _want_ to heal and sticking with it."

Xander pursed his lips but nodded. Steepling his fingers together in front of his face, Xander asked, "Then I take it you wish to retake your position by my side?"

Laslow grinned. "I never left. Spiritually, of course."

* * *

A/N: I decided to revamp this chapter, mainly because it was hard to follow up on in a logical and emotionally-fulfilling manner. Hopefully you guys'll like the change! Sorry if this chapter's topics hit a little bit too close to home, but as someone who also suffered from these kinds of thoughts, its a nice change of pace to solve my own problems for once.


	52. (T) Dear Fewchur Prince

"Xander!"

Xander grunted as a white blur crashed into him, almost throwing him off balance. "Hello, Corrin," he greeted as the two men staggered back and forth like a pair of drunk dancers trying to find their balance.

Part of Xander was tempted to ruffle the top of Corrin's head, the same way he did back when he was younger, but he suppressed his urges. Despite Corrin's naivety and child-like wonder sometimes, he was an adult, not to mention the ruler of one of three sovereign powers in their world.

Plus, it simply would not do for someone to walk in on the sight of the King of Nohr ruffling the King of New Valla's head like they were children. Behind them, both Camilla and Leo were struggling to hide the smiles on their faces. Judging by the already slightly-tousled hair on Corrin's head, Camilla must've given him one of her signature bear hugs.

"Sir, your brother has arrived," Laslow said unhelpfully, a smile forming on his face.

Xander could feel a smile of his own forming on his face as Corrin pulled away. It certainly wasn't easy, trying to move on, but he was trying, and that was the most important part.

"I see that you've matured," Xander said sarcastically, moving to pull Corrin into a quick but no less affectionate hug.

"Well, it's not like we get to see each other everyday," Corrin replied when the pulled back. "It's been too long, brother."

"That it has," Xander said, slowly nodding. Then, after a moment's consideration, added, "little prince."

Corrin beamed at his use of his childhood nickname. "Well, I see I'm not the only one who changed."

Xander shrugged. "Perhaps."

He tilted his head at Corrin's appearance. Corrin was…well, still Corrin, but at the same time…not. He felt taller, and his white hair was much longer, almost reaching his shoulders now. There were dark bags under his eyes, most likely from the days where he worked without sleep to oversee the rebuilding of New Valla, and despite the smile on his face, there was a definite sign of weariness in the lines of his face.

Corrin tilted his head questioningly as he looked around himself. "Azura?" he called. "Where are you?"

When no blue-haired songstress appeared, Corrin scratched his head in confusion. "Huh," he said, sounding a lot less concerned than Xander would've expected. "Guess she wasn't kidding about wanting to take a look around?"

Shrugging, Corrin looked around, his eyes finally landing on Laslow. "Hey, where's Odin and Selena?"

Xander visibly cringed as Laslow's face slackened. Corrin's eyes widened before he stepped forward to rest a hand on the other man's shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I didn't mean to remind you of any bad memories."

"It's alright," Laslow said wearingly, reaching up to pry Corrin's hand off his shoulder. "It's the memories, both bad and good, that makes life bearable. I'm used to this kind of pain."

Corrin's lips tightened as he nodded and touched Laslow briefly on the forearm. Throughout the exchange, Xander's eyes kept flitting between the two men.

Trying to ease the tension, he took Corrin's arm and said, "Nohr's seen quite a few changes since you've last been here. How about we provide a tour of the castle?"

Corrin smiled, catching on. "Sounds wonderful."

Azura could have forgotten about her childhood in Nohr. She could have forgotten the dim hallways pervading throughout the entirety of Castle Krackenburg. She could have forgotten the way how certain tapestries on the wall looked ever-so-slightly off-center, as if they were meant to hide the bloodstains of slain children. She could have forgotten all of that, but the one thing she will _never_ forget about Castle Krackenburg is her room.

There, she felt truly safe. There, she knew no one other than her mother could enter. And it was there that Shura spirited her away from Nohr.

And it was where she now stood, unsure on how to continue.

The door looked the same as it always had, made of dark oak with a small wooden sign with her name carved in it. Even the doorknob looked the same, with a small dent in it where the other children had smashed the head of another less fortunate child into it.

A shiver passed through Azura's spine.

 _It's okay,_ she said to herself. _All of them are gone now. It's just me. I'm one of the last ones. I'm a grown woman now. There's nothing they can do to hurt me._

Steeling herself, Azura laid her hands on the brass doorknob…and turned…and turned…

The door creaked open noisily, and Azura coughed as a veritable cloud of dusted emerged from where the door scraped along the floor. Fanning her hand in front of her face to wave away the clouds of dust, Azura warily walked into her childhood bedroom.

To Azura's surprise, everything was the same, and when she meant everything was untouched, _everything_ was untouched. When Azura walked over to the small desk beside her bed, the yellowed diary page was still opened to the same page, complete with the scrawl near the middle of it where Shura had dragged her away in the midst of her writing.

She turned around, taking in the sight. The moth-eaten blankets on her bed still bore the same design, a cartoon dragon with comically large puppy-dog eyes. At the time, she had no idea why dragons fascinated her, but now she knew why.

When she gingerly opened the closest, she yelped and ducked her head as a swarm of moths emerged. The bugs flew lazily around the room, as if confused, before hiding under Azura's old bed.

She made no move to check the bed.

Azura's eyes widened as she remembered why she came to her room. Preparing herself for the horror that was undoubtedly about to follow, she carefully reached under her bed with an old clothes hanger. A veritable _puddle_ of bugs and other monstrosities crawled out from underneath, but luckily, Azura was able to find the treasure she was looking for on the first try.

Brushing off a few stray beetles and blowing away the dust, Azura gingerly opened the box, praying fervently that the object she so desired was still there, though based on how the rest of the items in her room was untouched, she doubted it would be any different for the object in the box.

Azura couldn't help but smile and giggle quietly to herself as she saw the letter addressed to " _my fewchur prince"_ was still intact and readable, though still yellowed with age.

She quickly slid the box back underneath the bed before leaving the room. Before she closed the door for good, she gave one last look around the room. She silently thanked the shattered window beside her bed for allowing her to live the life she had now before sealing the room away for good.

Azura had been hoping to make it back to the room she and Corrin were to share before Corrin returned from whatever sightseeing trip Xander was sure to take him on. Part of her felt guilty at slipping away, but in her heart, she felt this was more important, at least to her.

Plus, they would have to chance to greet each other over dinner.

When Azura gently pushed the door open, Corrin was already sitting in the leather chair next to the fireplace, eyes flitting through a book. A history book, she guessed, by how enthralled he was. Corrin always had been a fan of history, after all.

It was only when Azura shut the door and the wooden slightly scraped against the doorframe that Corrin looked up. His eyebrows lifted in surprise and pleasure at the sight of his wife's figure entering the room.

"Azura!" he said excitedly. "You're back! How'd it go?"

Azura yelped and jumped slightly, trying to hide the yellowed letter behind her. "O-oh! It went fine," she said, trying to sidle around the room without letting Corrin see the letter. "Just went to see my old room. How did your end go?"

Corrin shrugged, placing a bookmark between the pages he was on and setting the book aside. "It was pretty good," he replied. "Though Nohr has a lot more black in its landscape then I remembered."

"T-that's good," Azura said, trying to sidle around Corrin towards the nightstand. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

She tried to subtly slip the letter into the horror novel she brought along on their trip, but to her surprise, Corrin wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed himself into her.

"What's that?" he asked, taking the letter.

"Be careful!" Azura scolded, trying to retrieve the letter. "It's very old!"

"I could tell," Corrin said playfully. "Was it from your childhood?"

"Can you please give it back to me?" Azura asked, exasperated. "It's very valuable to me!"

"Yes, but what is it?" Corrin asked teasingly. "Is it a love letter to your future lover?"

"Yes!" Azura squeaked. "Er—I mean no! It's not! Give it back!"

Corrin laughed gently as Azura dug her elbow into his ribcage and he released her. "Alright then," he said. "No more teasing I guess. But I still want to know, what is it?"

Azura embarrassingly hid her face in her hair. "It…it was what you said it was," she whispered, mortified.

Corrin leaned forward. "What was that?" he asked. "I couldn't hear you over the sound of you being _absolutely_ adorable just now."

"S-stop!"

This time, Azura also hid her face with her hands as she blushed scarlet red. "I'm not!"

"You're not what?" Corrin said mischievously as he laid an arm around Azura's shoulders.

She allowed him to guide her to where he had been sitting in the leather armchair. Taking a moment to mark the page he was on and to set it aside, Corrin sat down in it, cradling Azura's slenderer frame against his.

After managing to overcome her mortification, Azura slowly lowered her hands. "It…it was a love letter," she admitted quietly.

Corrin rose an eyebrow, though this time out of pure curiousity instead of playful teasing. "Oh really?" he said. "Who is it to?"

In response, Azura simply handed the letter over to Corrin, who's eyebrows furrowed as he read the name of the recipient.

"To _'My fewchur prince_?'" he asked. "Is that supposed to be the word 'Future?'"

Azura nodded her head, trying to press herself even further into Corrin's warm frame. "Y-yes."

Corrin chuckled. "Well, nobody's perfect I guess," he said. "Not even you, Azura."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Azura said, now indignant. "I was _seven_ at the time!"

"And when _I_ was seven, I was already reading philosophical texts and deciphering them," Corrin argued.

"That's different!" Azura retorted. "I'm a dancer, not a scholar like you, Corrin!"

"I thought you were a songstress?"

"I am! I can also dance too, you know!" Azura said defensively.

Corrin chuckled again as he squeezed her. "Relax, Azura. I'm just teasing you, no need to get so worked up."

Azura pouted as she folded her arms. "Fine then," she said. "Tell me you love me then."

This time, Corrin laughed out loud. "Gods, you can be really demanding sometimes, you know that?" he said.

Despite herself, Azura could feel the ghost of a smile creeping on her lips. "Yes well, I'm also married to a love-sick sap."

"I don't see how that has anything to do with this," Corrin replied.

"It has everything to do with this," Azura argued.

"Whatever you say, Azura."

"Mmhmm…"

"…"

"…"

"So…you want to read this love letter together?"

"…sur—it's not a love letter!"

"Then what is it then?"

"It's…it's…it's a love letter…"

 _Dear Fewchur Prince,_

 _Please take me away from here. I dont like it here The other people are mean. They keep pulling my hair and pushing me They keep trying to get me wet using goats blood. the grownups ar also mean. whenever I want to talk to them they push me away. Only Mother and father talks to me now but mother looks sad all the time and father is busy all the time. I wish someone like you would come to take me away I want you to love me and give me pretty clothes and tuck me into bed and give me kisses. If you do that I will love you forever and ever!_

 _Love,_

 _Azura Rheos_

"Gods, your handwriting and grammar at the time could kill just by having people read it."

"And _you_ can do better, Corrin?"

"Just saying. On an entirely unrelated side note, you were just as needy back then as you are now."

"Am not!" Azura pouted. "When do I ask for you to 'give me pretty clothes' and to 'tuck me into bed?'"

"You literally just asked me to tell you that I love you," Corrin deadpanned.

Azura turned herself away. "T-that's different. But still, I don't ask you to tuck me in every night, do I?"

"That's true, you don't," Corrin admitted. Suddenly Feeling mischievous and sultry however, Corrin whispered into her ear, "But you may ask me to tuck you in tonight when I'm done with you."

To his delight, Azura turned over so that she was face-to-face with him.

"Very well then," she whispered warmly, equally as quiet. "I shall require a _good_ tucking then."


	53. (T) Pleasure Palace

A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry, this isn't a new chapter! I decided to revamp the last 2 so they flow better. Don't worry though! I'm back, I've finalized my plans for Arc 5, and there might even be a 6th mini-arc if I finish this work!

* * *

"Come on, Azura!" Corrin said impatiently, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet as he stood by the doorway. "Xander and Leo are waiting for us! We're gonna be late if you take any longer!"

"Patience, Corrin," Azura said exasperatedly from behind the changing screen she was hiding behind. "We're not going to get there any faster if I tear a hole in my dress, now would we?"

Corrin crossed his arms and pouted as he glared at the tantalizing silhouette behind the changing screen. "I still don't know why you insisted on having a changing screen installed in here when you had no problems changing in front of me back in Hoshido," he said, somewhat sullenly.

Azura smirked. "Oh, trust me, Corrin. There's a _very_ good reason why I would prefer hiding myself from you," she said mischievously.

"And what would that be?" Corrin demanded, a grin appearing on his face as well.

Azura did not reply but instead opted to slide the changing screen back to allow Corrin to see her in all her glory. As Corrin turned towards her, his jaw dropped as he gaped at her.

"You like what you see?" Azura said, shyly turning around in a circle. Despite always being the one to take initiative in intimate situations, it was still hard for the reserved woman to simply flaunt herself openly, like the way Camilla or Charlotte used to do.

Corrin simply blinked before closely his mouth and grinning, shaking his head. Azura was wearing a _beautiful_ , long gold dress that reached all the way to her ankles, where she wore a stunning pair of matching gold heels. There was a diamond shaped hole on her chest, exposing some cleavage. Her back was mostly bare, and half her hair was tied up in a simple but breathtakingly beautiful braid that went around her head like a headband while the rest flowed freely behind her. The gold of her dress matched her eyes beautifully, and complemented her long blue hair even more so. The entire dress glittered and shone with an infinite number of stars.

Corrin suddenly became aware of how tight his collar seemed to be as Azura smiled demurely at him. She enjoyed having his attention like this. As he stared at her, Azura took the opportunity to gaze at her husband's own attire.

His clothing was simple, yet made him look all the more handsome and dashing because of it. He wore a simple pair of long, black trousers, a white long-sleeve button up, and a black vest on top of that. A small black bow was tied around his neck, and as always, his feet were bare. His hair, while still as long and white as ever, looked like he had put _some_ effort into taming, though that trademark tuft of hair splayed to the side of his face remained intact.

Azura was the first to tear her gaze her gaze away from their spouse and she quickly checked herself in the mirror. "Are you ready, Corrin?" she asked.

Corrin swallowed and nodded, still staring at the wonderful sight standing before the mirror. "Y-yeah," he stuttered. "I'm good."

Azura frowned as she touched her cheek with a slender finger. "I wish I had more time to work on my makeup," she said wishfully. "I was never that good at it though…"

"Why do you need to put on makeup?" Corrin asked, genuinely confused. "You look fine!"

Azura pursed her lips. "Yes, but makeup would've made me...would've made me a bit more...beautiful, I guess?"

She flinched and yelped as she felt Corrin's hands wrap around her waist and pull her close. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Making you feel better," he whispered into her ear. "You don't need makeup to be beautiful, Azura. You already _are_ beautiful."

Azura flushed red but still managed to smile weakly. "Yes, well, this _is_ a special occasion. I need to look my best, and in order to do that—"

"You don't need it," Corrin said gently. One of his hands lifted away from her waist and took her hands. He squeezed it, and said, "As far as I'm concerned, you are the most beautiful person I've ever seen, and that's not an exaggeration. Your eyes are like the stars in the sky and your hair like the waves in the ocean. I am but a mere speck next to your radiance, so don't you _ever_ think so lowly about yourself." Then, smirking, he added playfully, "Because _I'm_ already beautiful enough, therefore you have no choice but to _be_ more beautiful."

Azura laughed, and Corrin smiled. "Humble much?" she asked as she pressed a kiss to his cheek. Hearing Corrin's deep voice praising her aways sent a thrill down her spine, and she supposed they could afford a few more minutes verbally jousting with each other.

Corrin looked affronted. "Why, whatever do you mean?" he asked in a purposefully exaggerated posh voice that nobles always seemed to use. "I am an extraordinarily humble person. How dare you suggest otherwise!"

Azura smirked as she pushed Corrin away, only using one or two fingers. It always pleased her that she was able to push away the half-dragon using only a couple fingers while gods and the undead often ground their teeth into dust with frustration at Corrin's inhuman determination.

"Well then," she said, "I, too, am extraordinarily humble. More than you, I might add."

Corrin smirked, happy at being able to draw Azura out of her shell before bowing and extending a hand towards her. "Now then," he said gallantly, "shall we?"

Azura smiled, but instead of taking his offered hand, she took his hand and closed his fingers before twisting her arm around Corrin's so that they were conjoined at the elbow. She patted his arm with her other hand and rested her head on his shoulder.

"We shall."

* * *

"You're late," Leo said critically as Azura and Corrin hastily made their way towards where he was standing at the entrance to the Great Nohrian Theater. "Performance is about to start and Xander's getting impatient."

"Sorry," Corrin said apologetically. "It was Azura's fault. She was taking forever."

She harmlessly slapped him on the arm.

Leo ran a critical eye over Azura's dress. She fidgeted, suddenly feeling uncomfortable at the breeze blowing through the cleavage window on her chest. This style was apparently popular among Nohr's women so she decided to give it a shot, but after feeling Leo's eyes rest a bit longer on that portion of her body compared to the rest of her, she instinctively covered her chest with her arms.

Leo blinked in surprise and averted his gaze. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"It's fine," Azura said, not lifting her arms. "Prodigy you may be, Leo, but not everyone's perfect."

Corrin's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Were you just staring at my wife?" he asked, a dragon's growl hidden behind those words.

Leo awkwardly cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, maybe? What do you want from me? I'm a growing boy!"

"You're turning twenty in a month."

"Exactly! I'm still a growing boy in his late teens! I see a woman's breasts, it's in my biological makeup to look at them!"

Azura shook her head at Corrin and Leo's banter. "Let's go," she said, dragging Corrin away by the ear. " _Both_ of you."

"Ow! Hey! Azura! Not the ear, not the ear!"

As they entered the theater box, Xander, Elise, and Laslow turned towards them. While Laslow nodded curtly, Xander rose up and gave Azura and Corrin a brief but affectionate hug. As he pulled away from Corrin, he whispered in his ear, "Thank you."

Corrin paused for a second, mind blank until he realized Xander must have been referring to their talk earlier. He simply nodded and thumped Xander's back with an arm before pulling away.

"Anytime, brother," he said, resting a hand on Xander's shoulder. "That's why I'm here."

Elise, on the other hand, all but crashed into Corrin and Azura as she gave them each a surprisingly hefty bear hug. As Corrin pulled himself away, he took a moment to take in the changes in his younger step-sister.

She was taller now, almost reaching up to Corrin's shoulder on account of her legs being longer. Most of the baby fat was gone, revealing a face that would undoubtedly be some poor sap's undoing in the near future, though Corrin hoped it wouldn't be _that_ near.

Height wasn't the only thing that grew in Elise, however. Her measurements were definitely more apparent when compared to the past, but that was to be expected. Elise was barely the age of fourteen when they started the war against Anankos, and now she was almost sixteen, which definitely made Xander feel that much older even though the Nohrian King was barely into his thirties

On the other hand, her hair was now shorter, now reaching down to the middle of her back instead of her waist. While Elise's hair retained some of its curls, her hair was surprisingly wavy, much like Camilla's and Xander's. When asked about her new style, Elise proudly said, "I did it all myself! I thought curls were getting old, so I decided to change it up!"

"It looks wonderful, Elise," Azura said supportively. And it, truly. Elise would undoubtedly grow up to be breathtakingly beautiful woman, even one that could potentially rival Camilla herself.

As for Xander, while there were still dark bags under his eyes and the haunted look still hadn't entirely faded from his eyes, he certainly looked a lot better after his talking-to from Laslow and Corrin. Some of the color had returned to his face and he looked less gaunt, which was impressive in it by itself considering it had been a mere day since their conversation.

Corrin rose an eyebrow as Laslow walked over to Xander and whispered something in his ear. Xander frowned, the crinkle on his forehead deepening as he shook his head. He said some words back to Laslow, but he said them so quickly and quietly that Corrin, even with his enhanced hearing, could only pick out the words, "We'll deal with it later."

Laslow nodded and retreated to his previous position by the door. Corrin tilted his head and looked at Xander quizzedly.

"What was that?" he asked.

Xander shook his head and waved a hand dismissively. "It's nothing. Laslow was just reporting to me about a group of soldiers that failed to report in."

"That doesn't sound like nothing," Azura noted.

"Maybe," Xander said, rubbing his chin. "But tonight is a night of festivities, not work! In either case, I can easily deal with that later. For now, why don't we just sit down and enjoy the performance?"

As the lights dimmed, signally the start of the performance, Corrin and Azura hastily took their seats next to Xander, Leo, and Elise. As kings, both Corrin and Xander sat in the front, towards the center, with Azura and Leo beside them, respectively. Elise sat behind them, feet eagerly swinging as she waited for the performance to start. Behind them, Laslow straightened his tunic before closing the door to prevent any unwanted intruders from disturbing the royals' entertainment.

Azura took Corrin's hand in her own as a spotlight shone on a single figure standing onstage. The spokesperson reached into his pocket for something—most likely the script—before clearing his throat and speaking in a deep, sonorous voice, "Welcome everybody. We would like to thank all of you for attending tonight's special performance. We dedicate tonight's entertainment to our newly-crowned ruler: King Xander Aurelius of Nohr!" Xander stood up and waved goodnaturedly towards the clapping crowd as a second spotlight shone towards him.

The spokesperson waited politely for the clapping to die and for Xander to retake his seat. As the clapping quieted, he cleared his throat again and proclaimed, "But he is not the only royal among us today! Joining us today are the rulers of the newly founded nation of New Valla: King Corrin and Queen Azura Rheos!"

If the applaud that followed Xander's own calling could be considered loud, Corrin and Azura's could be considered deafening. Everyone knew of Corrin's role and accomplishments, and despite his shadowy past compared to the rest of his siblings, he was well-known amongst the people of Nohr.

Corrin and Azura rose as well as the spotlight shifted towards them. Corrin, ever the people person, smiled brilliantly as he waved at the people before bowing and taking his seat again. Azura instead deigned to simply smile and nod politely before retaking her seat.

The spokesperson waited again for the clapping to die down before continuing with his monologue. "Tonight's performance tells the story of a prince who, despite all odds, managed to unite his kingdom together under one banner to combat a great and terrible enemy. As we watch his story unfold, please keep in mind that this is merely a work of fiction. Any and all similarities between the characters and people in real life are entirely coincidental. Now, please enjoy tonight's show: _Fates!"_

Corrin clapped politely while Azura was surprisingly more animated, leaning forward to get a better view of the lights dimmed even further so that only the sparse candles and chandeliers sprinkled throughout the overarching ceiling remained the only sources of light.

Soft, melancholy music began to play as a sonorous voice said, "A long time ago, in a land far, far away...laid the kingdom of Altea…"

* * *

A/N: So I apparently wrote all of this on my phone? Also Final Fantasy VII Remake? Also no wifi temporarily? Also I referenced Voltron but i dont even know what Voltron is?


	54. (T) The Duel

A/N: Sorry about the delay! Between school starting back up, the workload of _another_ 4 college-level courses, and getting back into the swing of things, this chapter was delayed quite a bit and I had this planned all the way back in June, but now it's out and available for you guys to read! Hope y'all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of it's characters

* * *

"The King and Queen have returned! The King and Queen have returned!"

Otis looked up from his deck as the shout of the herald rang out across the city, his magically-enhanced voice echoing. The old man quickly jumped out of his seat and limped to the window, pausing only to thump his back with a fist.

A few days ago, Otis had woken with such a terrible pain in his lower back that Lilith was forced to call a healer. As fortunate as he had been to have Lilith close by, what Otis would've traded to have a more professional healer, even he didn't know.

A bitter smile crossed Otis' face as he remembered how condescending and patronizing the healer, who didn't seem much older than the desk in his study, had been during the healing. Called him _grandpa._ Grandpa! Didn't they realize, these young'uns?

 _My name is Otis Argyis,_ he would have thundered, had the healing not totally sapped his strength. _Chamberlain to King Corrin and former retainer of the late King Theophilus! How dare you refer to me as grandpa!_

"Youngsters today," muttered Otis to Lilith as the healer trotted out of his quarter, a lightly amused yet mollified look o the woman's face. "No respect."

Then he shuddered as he considered this statement. Lilith laughed softly before stifling her giggles behind a hand.

"Ye gods. I do sound old."

And using phrases like _ye gods_ wasn't helping any.

Turning his thoughts away from the memory, Otis resumed his half-limp, half-walk towards to door, pausing again to take the cane resting against the side of his desk. The cane was, in fact, a modified broadsword, it's hilt and scabbard specifically created to take on the appearance of an unassuming, plain-looking cane.

Otis had requested the cane to be made a few days after being appointed as chamberlain, much to Corrin's dislike. The young king had argued that with Anankos dead and servants scattered, there was no need for him to be taking up arms again in his old age.

To that, Otis had simply replied, "My heart has always belonged to the royal family, milord. Yes, Anankos' servants may have been scattered, but they are still out there, undoubtedly seeking revenge for their master's death. Better have a crippled old man as your guard than not at all." And so, reluctantly, Corrin had the cane made.

A grin broke out across Otis' wrinkled face as he glimpsed Lilith running towards the main gate as well, her pale hands lifting her long skirt above her ankles. As soon as he saw the blue-haired woman running across the courtyard, Otis quickened his hobbling.

However, by the time he had arrived, King Corrin and Queen Azura had already arrived and had even dismounted their horses. Already, servants and retainers were milling around them, checking them for any stray bags and injuries while they waved them exasperatedly.

An easy smile spread across Otis' face as he saw his young liege safe and sound. Despite being armed with the knowledge that King Corrin was one of the strongest warriors alive in the land, he still had nightmares of Theo's fate befalling the young man.

Lilith had just finished giving Corrin a firm but emotional handshake. Otis knew that she secretly wished to throw her arms around him and welcome him back the way a loving sister should to her brother, but it would've looked suspicious to see an attendant hugging her king. Rumors would surely start appearing, and Otis had no intentions of dealing with. As for now, however, a simple handshake would have to do. Behind Corrin, Otis glimpsed the telltale blue hair of Queen Azura disappearing into a doorway leading back into the castle, two heads of salmon pink and ice blue following.

Corrin frowned and turned his head as Lilith said something to him. His mouth moved in a "what?" and Lilith sighed as she stood up on her toes to say something directly into Corrin's ear.

Eyes lighting up, Corrin straightened up and cast his eyes around. As soon as his ruby-red eyes found Otis smiling back at him from the crowd, a smile of his own grew upon his face and he made his way towards Otis, the servants and guards moving respectfully out of the way. Normally, Otis would've bowed deeply, but with the aching in his back, he was forced to simply twist his hand over his breast in the respectful Old Valla honor guard salute.

The grin on Corrin's face shrunk by a few molars as he pulled Otis into a brief but tight hug. "Long time no see, my friend," Corrin said as he pulled away. "I'm sorry to have been away for so long. I hope the workload of running the kingdom hasn't stressed you out too badly."

Otis shrugged, raising one shoulder and then lowering it. "Eh, I've experienced worse, your highness," he said humbly. "I'd rather experience running the kingdom in your lieu for the rest of my life over going through what Anankos did to us."

Corrin's grin continued to shrink as he nodded along. "I'm sure I would've done the same, Otis," he said earnestly.

Looking around to make sure nobody was eavesdropping, Corrin pulled Otis closer and said in a lower tone, "I heard about your back and the healer. If you want, I could have him dealt with."

Otis simply shrugged and stepped away. "I don't think there's a need for that, milord. It was only a jab at my age, and nothing more, really."

"Are you sure?" Corrin asked. "It wouldn't trouble me at all! I could just ask Kaze or Silas to deal with it, and you'll—"

"I insist," Otis said, twisting his hand again over his chest and bowing his head. "Though it's an honor to see you stoop down to the level os uf lowly chamberlains and attendants."

"You're like family to us!" Corrin said, throwing an arm around Otis' shoulders. "You were Theophilus right hand man! That practically gives you the same position as Kaze or Silas!"

"Not anymore," Otis said solemnly, stepping out from underneath Corrin's arm. "I've retired as a retainer. Now I can do is serve and take care of the things that don't require your attention for you."

"Aw, don't say that," Corrin said, resting his hands on Otis' shoulders. This time, he did not pull away. "Sure, I guess you serve as my chamberlain, which is technically lower than a retainer, but you're still a good friend to me and Azura! We wouldn't have wanted anybody else other than you to be our chamberlain!"

Otis pursed his lips and nodded as he rested one of his hands ontop of Corrin's. "Thank you, my king. You have no idea what it means to me to hear such praises coming from you," he said, craning his neck upwards to meet Corrin's red eyes. "It's good to see you back, safe and sound."

Corrin nodded thoughtfully as he looked up at the castle, it's gray walls dark against the midday sun.

"Yeah," he said. "It's good to be back."

* * *

"Ah, it _really_ feels good to be back!"

Azura watched on in amusement as Corrin casually tossed his bag to the side of their room before flopping onto their bed. Corrin hummed in enjoyment as he grasped the edge of the blanket and wrapped it around himself so that he looked like a caterpillar with a tuft of white and very soft hair. Azura couldn't keep herself from smiling affectionately as she plopped herself down beside Corrin and patted his head.

Beneath her, Azura felt a slight vibration from the bed as Corrin hummed deep in his chest. The deep, rumbling hum, Azura learned, was yet another sign of Corrin's draconic nature. Like how a dog would wag its tail when excited or a cat purring and rubbing against one's leg when pleased, Corrin's rumbling hum was his own unique and _Corrin-like_ way of showing affectionate, and it was one Azura found incredibly endearing.

"Come on, you," she said, gently tapping his ears. "Come on out. We have to unpack, you know."

"Why can't we just let the servants do that for us?" Corrin pouted, peeking his head out. "Isn't it their job?"

Azura paused for a moment before answering. This was where her experience as a political prisoner really shone. As a prisoner, she never received any service from retainers of servants save for being served food, but even then, she swore they would glare at her every time they set down a bowl in front of her. She knew better now that she suspected it wasn't actually the servants actually hating her but rather or own social anxiety, but old habits die hard.

"We…it's better if we try to make their jobs easier," Azura said slowly. "They…have a lot to do, and we should at least try to avoid putting any more on their plates."

Corrin groaned but unrolled himself, hands blindly reaching out for hers. Azura obliged him, allowing him to take her hands in his own and squeeze.

"Fine then, I guess," he said begrudgingly. "Let's get this over with."

After a few minutes of teasing and throwing rumpled balls of clothes at each other in the Sixteenth Tunic Wars, Azura and Corrin stood back in pride, their empty bags beside them. Save for the wrinkled bed sheets and tuft of hair sticking out the side of Azura's head, the room was now as spotless as it had been when they first entered.

"See?" Azura said, elbowing Corrin playfully in the ribs. "It wasn't that hard."

Corrin frowned and bumped her shoulder. "Says you," he said. "You had less stuff."

"Excuse me?" Azura said, pressing a palm to her chest in fake offense. "Last time I checked, a dress isn't something you just roll up and toss into a drawer. You have to take it out, make sure there's no wrinkles in it, make sure all the straps and ribbons won't come loose when you hang it, and _then_ you have to figure out how to fit it into your wardrobe. I'd rather have more stuff than deal with having to put away fourteen dresses!"

"You only say that because you're the one who put all the crap you couldn't fit in your own bag into mine!" Corrin protested. "Half the clothing I pulled out from my bag wasn't even mine!"

"Likely story," Azura sniffed. "You're just being defensive because you don't know how to fold pants."

"What? No!" Corrin protested. "I-I know how to fold pants! It's…you're the one being defensive! You just don't want to admit that the reason why you have so much stuff was because people kept giving stuff to you and you kept taking it!"

"It's polite!" Azura said, exasperated. "How would you feel if you spent your money buying a dress for someone but then they told you they didn't want it?"

"Probably a lot better than if I had to pack and hang up fifty dresses," Corrin retorted.

Azura's eye narrowed. "Are you challenging me?" she asked dangerously. "Because I'll give you a fight if you're looking for one!""

Corrin snorted. "Don't make me laugh, Azura. We all know who's stronger on the battlefield."

A dangerous smile creeped it's way across Azura's face as her hand crawled its way towards one of the pillows on the bed.

"Who said anything about the battlefield?"

* * *

Corrin's eyes narrowed as he focused his gaze on his opponent in front of him. Azura did the same, her golden eyes almost as bright as the setting sun outside. A single drop of sweat slide down Corrin's face and over his eyes, causing him to blink. The sweat and grim expression on his face was the only sign of the half-dragon's nervousness. Meanwhile, Azura's hand tightened ever so slightly on the handle of her weapon as she wet her lips.

Before each other stood their greatest opponent. If they fell today, then everything they did up to point would've been pointless. They _had_ to win. It was their duty, not just to themselves, but to their country as well, to make utter mincemeat out of the opponent standing before them.

As stared at their opponents, Corrin's foot shifted slightly forward and Azura took that as a sign to surge forward, her eyes wild and hair flying as she streaked toward her enemy, feet barely skimming the surface f the floor as she raised her weapon for the death blow.

"Time for your final bow!" she shouted as she fiercely brought down her weapon with all the strength she could muster.

Corrin's eyes widened as he realized the dangerous situation he put himself in and he raised his weapon in preparation. However, he moved a fraction of a second too late and so there was nothing he could do when Azura's pillow smashed across his face, sending him stumbling back into their bed, hands flailing as he desperately tried to find his balance. Azura would not let him escape that easily, however, and continued pursuing Corrin, smacking him mercilessly with her pillow.

"A-Azura! W-wait! Stop!" Corrin said, almost pleadingly as he raised an arm to stave off the next blow. He opened his mouth again to say something else, but whatever he was going to say was instantly silenced when Azura smacked him upside the chin so hard, he flew off his feet and landed on his back on the bed.

Even still, Azura would not cease her brutal assault on Corrin, and so when she jumped onto the bed to stand over Corrin, all he had to do was to wrap a hand around her ankle and pull to ensure her fall. Azura's eyes widened again, this time not in excitement or in determination but rather in shock.

She let out a _whoomph_ as her back hit the bed with enough to force to drive out all the air in her body. For a few seconds, the only thing she saw was her hair falling across her face before she felt a weight settle on top of her. When she managed to brush aside her hair, she found Corrin kneeling on top of her, knees planted on both her sides, a pillow in each hand, and a huge grin on his face.

"Gotcha."

It was at this moment that Azura realized she made a grave mistake.

Azura closed her eyes and feebly raised her arms to ward off the incoming blows as Corrin started pelting her with the pillow, though nowhere near the amount of force she had been expecting. Eventually, his grunts of exertion became one of playful laughter and Azura started laughing as well when she reached out and grabbed Corrin by the shoulders and pulled him onto the bed, rolling so that she was on top this time.

Corrin went cross-eyed for a second as he adjusted to his new position before realizing that it was now Azura who held the pillow in her hand. He hastily reached out to grab Azura by the from of her shift and pulled her into a quick and chaste kiss.

All the blood rushed to her face as she gasped and covered her lips with one hand. Corrin grinned sheepishly as she narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion.

"That's not fair!" she complained. "Kissing counts as a distraction!"

Corrin simply rolled his eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said innocently. "I'm just showing how much I love you!"

Azura stuttered and blushed an even darker shade of red as she threw the pillow at Corrin's face. "Shut It, you."

Corrin chuckled as he sat up. Azura crossed her arms and looked away, mildly upset that Corrin had gotten the best of her _again_ in their little pillow fight, even if his most recent victory had been…unique, to say the least.

But all those feelings of anger and disappointment in her loss vanished as Corrin wrapped his warm arms around her again and pulled her close. The hair on Azura's neck stood on end as she felt Corrin's warm breath snaking its way across her bare skin, around her shoulders, and down her shift. She stiffened momentarily before relaxing and melting into him. Together, the two stayed like for a long time before Corrin shifted.

Eyelashes fluttering, Azura pulled away but stopped when Corrin's arms prevented her from moving.

"How about it?" he said, and how her skin rolled at hearing his voice just then! How did Corrin manage to sound so good just from that one question? "One more round?"

Azura's breath hitched in her throat and she pressed a palm to her rapidly rising and falling chest. She turned and kissed him on the lips, eyelids fluttering closed and face red. When she pulled away, she grinned shyly but met his gaze full on.

"You bet."

* * *

A/N: Low-key worried that this story won't get as much traction now because of 3 Houses. I really wish I didn't have to be "that guy," but please, spread the word of this story! I plan for it to be one of the biggest works in the FE Fandom, and it would suck if it got, like, 90 follows compared to The Apocryphal One's standard of 200~.


	55. Interlude: A God's Decree

Day had broken cold and gray, exceedingly cold and gray, when the hunter turned aside from the main trail and climbed the high earth-bank, where a dim and even less-traveled trail led Northward through the frozen forest. It was a rather steep bank, the hunter realized, and so when he reached the top, he took a minute to sit down against a tree and look up at the sky. There was no moon, nor was there even a hint of the glowing orb. It had been mostly clear all day, so the sudden gloom that befell the forest caused the hunter's spine to prickle in a way he hadn't felt in a long time.

Slung over the hunter's shoulder was a blood-soaked bag, the dark red liquid a deep black in the cold. Inside the bag was the skinned remains of a hare, the result of a long day's work. Despite the rather small meal the hare would provide, the hunter couldn't help but count himself as one of history's luckiest men. It wasn't everyday one managed to find, track down, and kill prey when it was this cold out. When it was this cold out, even the most hardened of mountain wolves and the most venerable of snow foxes would bury their snouts inside a pile of snow and wait out for a more opportune time to hunt.

Such was life in The Spine, the most inhospitable mountain range in Nohr, even considering how harsh Nohr was already.

The man shifted to gain a better view of the landscape before him. The trail to his home was roughly five miles long, uphill, and covered in three feet of snow. He had barely managed to walk two before collapsing under the tree. The snow was all pure white, rolling in gentle undulations. North and south, as far as the eye could see, was all white, flat and pure save when it was broken by a dark hairline that curved and twisted from around the tree-covered island to the south, and that curved away into the north where it disappeared behind another tree-covered island.

This dark hairline was the main trail—the trail the man had just so recently broken off from.

The hunter knew it was a foolish decision to travel alone when it was blizzarding like this. The wind blew such ferocity that it was impossible for him to even pull out his map without the parchment blowing all this way and that. The air around him was cold enough for his spit to freeze midway whenever he spat off to the side, and the man didn't dare remove his gloves or heavy woolen hat in fear of being frostbitten within seconds of exposure.

At his heels, a large dog sat obediently, waiting for its master to continue traveling. The dog looked more wolf than dog, but the hunter knew that any other breed would've froze to death long ago. When the hunter did not move, the dog curled its tail between its legs and laid down at his feet, head resting on the hunter's leg.

"I know, Buddy," the hunter said, his gruff voice muffled by a thick beard and an even thicker scarf around his face. He rubbed the dog between the ears. "No point in travelin' in this kind of weather. Better off making camp."

The dog bayed mournfully. Despite being built for the freezing cold, even the beast couldn't help but dread the miserable night that was sure to follow. Both man and animal were dressed in some of the best furs around, but even then, nobody in their right of mind would ever willingly camp out under the stars in The Spine during winter.

The dog stirred and hopped to its feet as the man began gathering supplies to make camp: wood, patches of fabric from his backpack to hoist up a makeshift tent, brushing aside a patch of snow to make room. When the hunter trudged into the forest to look for more firewood, the dog sat down on its haunches, rested its head on its paws, and waited for his return.

As the man stooped down to pick up a particularly fine-looking stick, a flicker of movement in the darkened trees caused to straighten back up, the firewood in his arms clattering to the ground.

"Who goes there?" the hunter called, his voice barely audible over the howling wind. When the only sound that responded to him was the wind, the hunter frowned and stooped back down to pick up the sticks.

Surely, there was nothing there, right? Just his eyes playing tricks on him, it had to have been.

When a twig snapped behind him, where he had set up camp, the man dropped his pile of sticks again and brought up an oak crossbow. He knew that the weapon would've been practically useless in this kind of weather and visibility, but he hoped the sight of the weapon would've given the intruder pause.

"Show yourself!" the man shouted, futilely loading an a bolt into his crossbow. This time, he was met with a response.

The dog's keening death scream.

The hunter instantly broke out into a run towards the campsite, the snow hampering him. When he burst out of the woods, the first thing he noticed was the figure standing over the body of his dog, a blood-red light surrounding its fingers. In the whirling snow, he was unable to make out the figure's gender, but when the hunter managed to loose a bolt towards it, the figure uncannily dodged it.

The hunter's eyes widened at how quickly the figure reacted and as he moved to load another bolt, the figure reached out towards him. The blood-red light shot out from the figure's hand towards him, enveloping him and lifting him off the ground.

The man screamed in pain as his boots left the ground. There were no words to describe the pain. It just… _hurt_. In the remaining few seconds he had before he lost consciousness from the pain, the man struggled to draw his dagger from his belt and hurl it towards the man, but an even greater wave of pain washed over him, forcing his hand down and his fingers to loosing, letting the blade fall to the ground.

The figure tilted its head, as if mildly curious by the hunter's dagger and moved towards him to pick it up. When the figure stooped back up, the hunter made one last, desperate attempt to escape by lashing out with his fist. To his surprise, his fist managed to make contact with the figure's hood, knocking it back.

What stared back at him was the last thing he remember.

It was a woman's face, with high cheekbones and arched nose, but what caught the hunter's attention was the _eyes._ Blood red eyes, burning with madness and hate, stared back at him.

In his shock, the man's arm fell limply to his side again. The woman sneered at him derisively before rearing her hand back to strike him across the face. The man felt something liquid splash across his face, and then all time and memory ceased for him.

* * *

Iago scowled as he reached up to wipe away the blood on his face. The man's unconscious body fell limply to the floor and Iago took a moment to pull his hood back up over his head. It would not do for him to catch frostbite, especially on such a pretty little face like Tamora's.

Behind him, snow crunched as four more men emerged from the trees. Like him, their eyes burned blood-red, though not with the same amount of energy as his. Their eyes were simply the result of being resurrected using forbidden spells. One of the guards had a hole through his throat while another had the point of a broken sword sticking out his stomach. As Iago's eyes wandered over the dead men, he couldn't help but wrinkle his nose in disgust at his shoddy spells.

Iago had always been rather adept in black magic, which was one of the differences between him and his classmates back in Valla. Unlike normal magic, which called upon the user sacrificing either or own life energy or drawing on an inanimate object's own separate reserve, black magic required users to sacrifice their own blood to draw upon the life energies of others.

It was common knowledge that in order to have the greatest impact on their spells, a mage had to _mean_ their spells to take effect. A half-hearted mage cast only half-hearted spells, and Iago was anything but half-hearted. But to see his own magic bring about such…feeble results, Iago couldn't help but feel disgusted towards himself.

"Same procedure?" one of the guards asked. Already, the three other undead men were moving towards the unconscious body to haul it back to the manor.

Iago nodded. "You know what to do. Strip him of any and all clothing. Strap him to a table, make sure he's conscious, and I'll do the rest."

The guard nodded before following the rest of his unit to move the body. As Iago followed them into the forest, towards the manor, he couldn't help but pray fervently to Anankos for his plan to work.

Iago had a rather _grand_ plan for that damnable half-dragon and that blue-haired bitch he called his wife, alongside any children they may or may not have had since Anankos' death two years ago, but in order to pull it off, he would need more than a stone manor and its undead residents. What he needed was… _thralls._

Creating thralls required a live human, but in exchange for a such a rare resource, the magic cost was drastically weaker. Iago needed only a spark of magic to create a blood rune on the thrall's body, and once the blood rune was completed, the thrall would be completely under his control.

At least, that was what Iago had hypothesized.

Blood runes had been outlawed since the First War, and no ancient tomes or books Iago had managed to scrounge up provided the necessary chants needed to perform the ritual, but then again, the writers of those ancient tomes and books never had the power of a dragon running through their veins.

But in order to create thralls in the first place, he needed supplicants. Unlike the undead puppets he had created from the corpses of the manor guards and servants, supplicants were fully living humans, indistinguishable in every way from other humans except for two differences: their total and utter loyalty to him and their ability to be sacrificed to strengthen himself.

Creating thralls was a risky business that could just as quickly backfire on him if he didn't have the necessary energy needed to complete the already incredibly draining ritual, but that was where the supplicants came in. Instead of having their own, original blood running through veins, through the use of a small blood spell, Iago was able to have his own blood course through their veins.

While creating supplicants and supplying them with his own blood was a risky procedure that could end in total annihilation of the body and leaving Iago sore for days, by controlling even a small number of supplicants, Iago would be able to create and control a massive number of thralls, which was the third part of his preparation plan for Anankos' revenge.

In layman's terms, the more supplicants he had, the more thralls Iago would be able to create and the more powerful he himself would be. Only then would Iago feel confident in enacting Anankos' revenge. But for now, he had to focus on creating his first supplicant. He couldn't afford to let himself get distracted. Soon, Anankos would have his revenge.

And may the gods help whoever got in his way.

"Whatever it takes," Iago muttered under his breath as he and the four soldiers marched. "You shall have your revenge."

* * *

A/N: Rip dog


	56. (T) The Sickness

A/N: School has returned, and with it, a hellish writing "schedule."

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of its characters.

* * *

Corrin's pen clattered to the table as he slumped over onto his desk in defeat and exhaustion.

" _Ugh,_ " he groaned. "I almost forgot how much of a hassle paperwork was! I guess Otis was right in warning us about taking such a long trip…"

He flapped an arm weakly towards Azura who was, like Corrin, also sitting at a desk, buried under a mountain of letters, reports, folders, and gods knows what else. Unlike Corrin, who was limply lying on his desk, Azura sat up nice and straight. Her eyes moved from one paper to another while she busily signed her signature at the bottom. Corrin groaned again as he saw how unfazed Azura seemed to be by the sudden tsunami of paperwork.

" _Azuuuura_ ," he groaned, flapping his arm towards Azura again. " _Heeeeelp me…"_

Azura sighed and lifted her eyes from the paper to gaze at Corrin lying pathetically facedown on his desk. A slightly amused yet irritated slash appeared on her lips before she suddenly sneezed, causing her vision to blur. A muffled _bless you_ came from somewhere under Corrin's head. Azura managed to mutter back a _thank you_ of her own before she sneezed again, this time so hard, she managed to rustle a few papers in front of her.

"Bless you again," Corrin mumbled, still facedown.

Once she recovered, Azura looked at Corrin and frowned. "You know it's not going to finish itself if you keep laying there," she said playfully.

"Yeah, yeah. I know," Corrin replied, lifting his head.

He looked out the window. Outside, the moon was a brilliant golden plane in the sky. The stars twinkled teasingly in the indigo night sky, as if making fun of Corrin for being cooped up within the castle, and save for a few watchfires dotted around the city, New Valla was dark and silent. In the distance, Corrin could see the moonlight refracting off the surface of the sea. A gentle breeze carrying the scent of the ocean wafted in through the open window, rustling a few papers and slightly tousling his hair.

Corrin sighed and looked back at the pile of papers on his desk. Now that he thought about it, the workload wasn't as bad as he initially thought. It was just…tedious, to say the least. After spending almost three months on his honeymoon and little else, Corrin had to admit returning to the life of a king to be somewhat…jarring.

"I guess I should've seen this coming though, what with us being gone for so long," Corrin sighed, picking his pen back up and scribbling his name at the bottom of the paper before setting it in a tray to his right."

"Next time, try keeping your celebrations short," Azura quipped, returning her attention to her work.

"Hey!" Corrin said, rather indignantly though Azura could tell he wasn't really offended. "I really thought you would've liked the honeymoon!"

"I did," Azura said flatly. "Now get back to work or else I'll tell Jakob you're done with your work so he can bring you more."

"Party pooper," Corrin pouted. "Why'd you have to go and blackmail me like that?"

Azura sighed in exhaustion before turning her head to sneeze again. This time, Corrin slightly raised an eyebrow and glanced at her. It was unlike for Azura to be sneezing this much. Even during the hike up the freezing mountain to find the Rainbow Sage, Azura hadn't let the elements get to her.

Azura sighed as she pulled out a handkerchief and blew her nose. After setting it aside, she turned her head and rested her cheek in the palm of her head to maintain eye contact with Corrin.

"I know you hate having to make up your work," she said soothingly. "I don't like having to play catch-up any more than you do but look on the bright side at least. Once we're done here, the workload should be a lot easier!"

Corrin sighed as he set aside a packet of papers. "If you say so," he said sullenly. "Still hate it though."

"I know you do," Azura said in a honeyed voice, akin to how one would speak to a child. "Now, finish your work or else no cuddles for you tonight."

"You just _had_ to bring that up to motivate me, didn't you?" Corrin grumbled.

And no more words were shared that night.

* * *

When Corrin woke the next morning, he immediately noticed two things. One was the warmth spreading throughout his entire body, the result of spending a night cuddling with Azura. Seems like he did manage to finish his work after all.

The second, and more alarming, was how his hands met air instead of a warm body. He groggily patted the empty space where Azura should have been before snapping his eyes open. "Azura?"

The only response he received was the sound of what sounded like somebody coughing up a lung coming from the washroom.

Corrin sat up, rubbed his eyes, and handcombed a tuft of hair away from his eyes. "Azura?" he called again.

Again, he was met by the sound of someone coughing violently before a weak, timid voice called out, "I'm okay! Really!"

Corrin blinked several times as he tried to digest Azura's reply before deciding to fall back asleep was _not_ the optimal response to hearing one's wife violently coughing in the early morning. Yawning, he swung his legs off the side of the bed and meandered towards the washroom.

"Azura?" he called again. "You okay?"

Azura poked her head out of the open washroom door, her hair an adorable mess as she nodded fervently. "Yes, yes!" she said, her voice sounding hoarser than usual, before hastily shutting the door behind her. "I'm perfectly fine, thank you for asking."

Corrin cocked his head curiously. Something was off about Azura's voice. Usually, her voice could be compared to an angel's, but this morning, she sounded less like an angel and more like a cat coughing up a hairball if the cat also had every kind of lung disease.

He rested a palm flat on the surface of the door. "I'm coming in," he announced.

"N-no, wait!" Under the crack of the door, he could see Azura's shadow moving frantically. He swore he heard her curse as something _thumped_ to the floor. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of waiting, the door opened. Azura was standing in the center of the white-tiled room, her hands behind her back and an obviously-fake smile plastered across her face. Her nose was a bit redder than usual and she seemed rather short of breath. She was wearing a lilac colored nightgown, the hems of the dress reaching just to the middle of the thighs and leaving little else to the imagination.

Corrin looked around the washroom for anything out of the ordinary before returning his gaze back to Azura. Under his searching gaze, Azura seemed to clamp up and averted her gaze, though she made no move to cover herself. There was a strange yet oddly familiar odor around the washroom, though Corrin assumed it was only because of his heightened sense that he was able to smell it.

"What's wrong?" Corrin asked, his voice still croaky from just waking up. "Your voice sounds off."

"So does yours," Azura retorted before clamping her lips shut.

Corrin cocked an eyebrow before moving past her to splash some water from the sink onto his face. As he walked passed her, Azura turned so that she was always facing Corrin. When Corrin glanced up at the mirror, he saw Azura trying to sneak out of the washroom.

"Where are you going?" Corrin asked casually, glancing up at her in the mirror.

Azura froze and turned around, much like how a cat would when stumbled upon in the dark. In her hesitation, Azura was unable to keep her hands out of Corrin's line of sight and he spotted a tissue spotted with red in her hand. Corrin's draconic instincts flared as he turned and reached out to grab Azura by the wrist.

She yelped in surprise as he turned her around. He carefully pried her fingers apart to look at the tissue in her hand and it was then he realized what the odor was.

It was blood.

Or more specially, _Azura's_ blood.

Corrin frowned and held up the tissue, a questioning look in his eyes. "What is this?" he asked worriedly. "Where are you bleeding from?"

"Corrin—"

"Are you hurt? Do I need to call a healer?"

"Corrin!" Azura interrupted sharply. "I'm fine!"

As if to soothe his concerns, she hopped up to simultaneously kiss Corrin sweetly on the nose and to grab the tissue out of Corrin's hand. Corrin managed to move his hand back fast enough to prevent Azura from grabbing the tissue, but his nose immediately wrinkled as he smelled traces of Azura's blood on her lips. Azura frowned and fell back to the flats of her feet as she noticed the expression on Corrin's face.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Corrin's frown deepened as he glanced at the bloody tissue, then at Azura's mouth. Back at the tissue, then back at Azura's mouth.

"Are…you sure everything's okay, Azura?" Corrin asked slowly. "You're acting strange this morning."

Azura rolled her eyes and stepped forward to kiss Corrin a second time and to attempt to take back the tissue again, but again, Corrin managed to move fast enough to avoid Azura's prying hands. Frustrated, Azura frowned and cross her arms, glaring at Corrin.

" _Corrin_ ," she said, irritated. "Give it back."

"Not until you tell me what's going on," Corrin retorted. "You're acting strange this morning. I heard you coughing just then."

"I already told you, I'm _fine,_ " Azura insisted. "Now give me the tissue, Corrin, or so gods help me, I'll pinch your ears the next time I catch you sleeping at your desk."

"I smelled blood when I walked in the room," Corrin said, ignoring the threat. He shook the tissue in his hand. "I also smelled blood on your lips when you kissed me just now. Tell me the truth, Azura. Are you hurt? What's going on?"

"I _told_ you, I'm _fine_ ," Azura snapped, finally managing to snatch the tissue out of Corrin's hands. Just as quickly, however, Corrin's hands shot out and gripped her around the wrists, preventing her from pulling away.

"Corrin! Let go!" Azura said, futilely trying to pull away. "Don't worry about me! I'm fine!"

" _Azura,_ " Corrin said, his voice low.

Azura stopped struggling and glared up at him defiantly. " _Corrin_ ," she said, equally as vehemently.

Red clashed against gold as the two argued silently with each other. Finally, Corrin sighed and averted his gaze. He had lost.

He released Azura's wrists and let his hands fall limply to his sides. Almost immediately, Azura hid her hands behind her back again and tried to back out of the washroom.

"Sorry,"" Corrin mumbled. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

Azura paused. That was true. Corrin always placed other's wellbeing above his own, and this was no different. She couldn't fault her husband for that, nor could she blame him for being a bit too overzealous in protecting her, even if it was a bit irritating at times.

After a moment's pause, Azura replied by simply saying "I know."

Corrin pursed his lips and nodded before turning away and stripping off his shirt. When Azura remained in the washroom, both transfixed by the sight of his toned body but also uncertain of how to tell him she did not blame him for his insistence, Corrin simply turned his head so that his hair covered his eyes.

"I'm going to change now. Mind if you step out?"

Azura felt something clog up in her throat at Corrin's simple request for privacy. Ever since they became married, rare was the time that one felt uncomfortable standing naked before the other, mostly because it led to other, _steamier_ actions. Corrin asking her to leave meant he was either incredibly hurt or incredibly angry.

And Azura knew she was the reason behind both of those emotions.

Azura blinked, unsure of how to properly reply before simply closing her lips and nodding silently. When she turned to leave, however, the clogging sensation in her throat suddenly tightened and she instinctively hunched over, one hand clutching her stomach while the other pressed itself into her chest. A tiny tremor began, first in her chest, then in her throat, and before she knew it, blood splattered the floor beneath her as she broke out into a series of violent coughs.

"Azura!"

Corrin was instantly by her side, half dragging her, half carrying her to the toilet bowl as she continued to cough. For a moment, the only things Azura saw in front of her was the water in the toilet turning red and Corrin's hand moving in front of her to brave the red stream in order to brush some hair out of her face so she would have a clear shot.

Azura wasn't sure how long she spent there, kneeling besides the toilet, half coughing, half vomited blood while Corrin crouched steadfastly beside her, murmuring words of encouragement as he held her hair out of her face and rubbed her back soothingly. Finally, after what felt like hours, Azura's cough faded to almost nothing and she woozily fell backwards onto her rear, hands on either side of her. Corrin gently moved his hand up to her face and caressed her cheek, rubbing away a spot of stray blood with his thumb.

For a while, the two simply sat there, Azura staring woozily at the wall and Corrin caressing her cheek while keeping a watchful eye out in case she broke out into another coughing fit. Finally, after what felt like several more hours, Azura felt her head had cleared enough for her to stand back up. Corrin's hand automatically moved to rest on her back to steady her as she clambered to her feet.

"Are you _sure_ you don't need to see a healer?" Corrin asked.

In response, Azura shook her head. Her chest suddenly felt incredibly tight, despite the looseness of her nightgown. Her breath came hard, and she felt herself sway on her feet. A look of concern broke out on Corrin's face as he rested his palm on her forehead before immediately retracting it.

"You're burning up," he said. "You're as hot as a furnace!"

"Feel like one too," Azura mumbled. She leaned against Corrin for support. "I…I can't breathe…"

The look of concern on Corrin's face evolved into something nearing panic as he looked around. Azura's chest tightened even more at how she caused Corrin to worry.

"Uh, don't worry!" he said. "I'll put you in bed really quick, and then I'll have Jakob or Felicia summon a healer for you! Can you wait for a few minutes?"

Azura nodded. Corrin immediately moved his arm down to her knees and put Azura in a bridal carry, setting her down gently on the bed. Azura turned her bed to watch him walk briskly over to the door. Muffled words were passed between him and some unknown person, most likely Jakob. Azura saw a murky figure wander around her and raise something over her head before Corrin's face appeared back in her vision. She felt him clutch her hand.

"I just told Jakob to get the healer," he said. "He told me that they'll get here within a few minutes or so, but until then, Jakob had to put you to sleep so they'll have an easier time examining you. Jakob already cast a spell on you which means you should fall asleep any minute now."

"Oh…okay," Azura said, her voice barely above a whisper now. "C…Corrin?"

"Hmm?" Corrin pressed her ears up against Azura's lips to hear her words.

"I'm…sorry," she said. "I'm sorry…for yelling at you…"

Corrin sighed and tightened his grip on her hands. "No, no. I understand why you were upset," he said. "You wanted some privacy and I didn't give it too you. I'm sorry."

As Corrin stood back up, Azura pulled on his arms, causing him to remain kneeling next to the bed.

"One more…one more thing," Azura croaked.

"What is it?"

"I'm sorry for…for causing…so many…so many problems…"

Corrin's eyebrows knit together. "What problems?" Corrin asked. "Being sick?"

Azura nodded even as she struggled to keep her eyes open as she reached out to cup Corrin's cheek.

"It's _fine_ , Azura," Corrin said soothingly. "I don't remember you ever being sick before. Maybe this is just your body's way of catching up!"

"But…"

"No buts," Corrin said, interrupting her by resting a finger on her lips like how she did to him so many times before. "Save your energy. The healer will be here soon. Go to sleep now, alright?"

Azura slightly moved her head in an approximation of a nod. "Okay…"

Corrin smiled gently and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Great. I'll see you in a few seconds then."

* * *

Silas and Otis were frowning and speaking to each other in hushed tones over the journal containing the day's events when Corrin pushed his way through the throne room door, his complexion as stormy as a Nohrian night. Otis immediately bowed as best he could and twisted his hand over his chest in a salute while Silas snapped to attention before resting a comforting hand on Corrin's shoulder.

"We heard what happened," the retainer said in a low voice. "Sorry to hear that Azura won't be joining us today."

"How did you know?" Corrin looked up in surprise. "I specifically requested Felicia and Flora to—ah."

"Fun fact, milord. When your wife also happens to be the one overseeing the queen's health when she's sick, you tend to pick up on a few things," Silas said, grinning. Despite the familiar cocksure grin on his face, Corrin could see how the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I'll…I'll keep that in mind," Corrin said simply before turning to Otis.

"Milord," Otis said with another bow. "I would ask you how your day has been so far, but judging by how somber Silas was this morning, I assume such a question would be unneeded?"

Corrin rose an eyebrow. "Silas? Somber? Since when?"

Silas shrugged nonchalantly. "Hey, I'm just trying to keep the mood appropriate. Wouldn't do for the castle to be partying it up while Azura was in her room, coughing up blood and stuff."

"It's _Queen_ Azura, Silas," Otis scolded. "Drinking buddies, you and our king may be, but that does not excuse you from propriety."

"It's fine, Otis," Corrin said, patting the older man on the shoulder. "I'm used to it. And besides, he only does it in private."

Otis harrumphed and muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "Kids these days," though both Silas and Corrin could tell it was done in jest rather than genuine offense.

Corrin sighed and pulled at his chin before shaking his head to clear his thoughts. "Anyways, what's on the plan today, Otis? I heard some nobles wanted to talk to me, and I want to finish as much paperwork today as I can, so—"

"Oh, I doubt you'll have time to finish your paperwork today," Silas sniggered. He grabbed the thick journal s out of Otis' hands, ignoring the older man's cry of indignation, and showed Corrin a specific page. Corrin's eyes almost popped out of his head as he read over today's events.

"Oh, heavens above," he breathed. "They really don't want me next to Azura today, do they?"

Otis nodded somberly. "As harsh as it may be, but rarely do nobles care about the health of their king and queen when money is involved. Even more so if they know next to little about their queen, which I'm sure you can relate to."

Silas nodded along. He slung an arm around Corrin's shoulders, which earned him another scolding glare from Otis, and slapped him playfully on the chest. "Don't worry, Corrin. The day will be over before you know it."

Corrin sighed heavily before himself upright. "Fine then," he said. "No rest for the weary it is, then."

* * *

When Lilith pushed her way past the doors leading to their private quarters, Corrin stood up so fast, he knocked over the chair he was sitting on. Likewise, Silas and Kaze reacted so quickly, Kaze had almost hurled his shuriken across the room had Silas not stopped him by grabbing his arm. Embarrassed, the ninja nodded in apologies towards Lilith who simply greeted him with an easy smile.

"Don't worry," she said. "I'm used to being threatened with violence. Father issues, you know?"

Corrin hurriedly rushed towards Lilith and rested his hands on the shorter half-dragon's shoulders. "Azura," Corrin demanded, his voice rough from talking all day. "How is she? Is she—"

"She's doing just fine," Lilith replied, reaching up to pry Corrin's hands over her shoulders. She squeezed them ever so slightly, mindful of the two guards in the room alongside Kaze and Silas.

"The doctor said that it was just a rare bug normally found in Nohr," Lilith explained. "Noncontagious. He's already treated almost a dozen such cases among traveling merchants, so Azu— _Queen_ Azura's case was nothing special to him. She'll be better by tomorrow morning."

Corrin sagged in relief and bowed his head. "Oh, thank the gods," he said thankfully. He looked up hopefully at Lilith. "Is she—"

"Go on," Lilith said good-naturedly. She gestured towards the closed door with her head. "She's been asking to see you, actually. Just make sure you keep quiet in there. The healers are still working."

Lilith's final sentence had barely left her mouth before Corrin pushed his way into the darkened room, the door closing behind him. Kaze reached out towards Corrin, as if to warn him against going into a room with an ill person inside but decided to trust Lilith's judgement that the illness was contagious and lowered his arm. Silas crossed his arm and leaned back against the wall as he closed his eyes in preparation for another nap.

"Are you falling asleep _again_?" Kaze asked, somewhat irritated by his fellow retainer's laxness. Ever since the end of the war, Silas had reverted back to his relaxed, easy-going nature.

That wasn't to say he slacked off in his duties, far from it, but Kaze was slightly disturbed at how _easily_ Silas managed to fall asleep when he was bored. Even Corrin had some sort of self-restraint, but not Silas. Silas probably would fall asleep standing up if he knew how to, and Kaze _knew_ he was practicing how to whenever Corrin held court.

"If Silas sleepy, Silas sleepo," the green-haired paladin said. He rested his lance next to him on the wall and closed his eyes.

"And by the way, Kaze. I know when you're trying to see if I'm sleeping while standing up. I can see you, you know."

"But…if you're asleep—wait, but you're not! Wait—how am I…never mind. Don't' fall over, Silas."

"Mmhmm."

Lilith could do nothing but shake her head in exasperation before making her way out of the hallway, wedges clacking against the floor.

* * *

Inside, the first things Corrin noticed was the _darkness_. The curtains were drawn and save for a couple of candles illuminated by orange flame, the room was black.

The second thing Corrin noticed was the _smell_. He could smell the distinct odor of Azura's blood, which caused him to unconsciously growl and hunch his shoulders like he would raise his hackles when he was a dragon.

But there was another smell, Corrin realized a second later. The smell of juniper, peppermint, lavender, chamomile, but most bizarrely, _pineapple._

 _Guess the doctor must really like pineapple_ , Corrin thought to himself as he half-felt, half-stumbled his way across the room to where he knew Azura would be resting on his bed. On his way there, he passed by one of the healers, hunched over a book.

How the healer was able to read in such darkness and through the signature bird-beak masks all healers wore when treating someone in their own home, Corrin had no idea, but as he tiptoed past, the healer raised his head and looked around.

"Ah, milord!" The healer raised his mask to reveal a pudgy-faced man with eyes of brown. "I didn't hear you come in! Are you here to see the queen?"

Corrin nodded silently, heeding the last part of Lilith's warning. "Yeah. Is she—"

"I'm right here, Corrin," said Azura's voice. "I'm on the bed."

Corrin instantly turned towards the sound of her voice and walked towards the source of it. As he neared the bed, the pudgy-faced healer lit a lantern and set it on the nightstand next to Corrin and Azura's bed.

In the dim orange light, Corrin could barely make out the details of Azura's form. He couldn't tell if she was naked or not, nor could he tell if she was paler or not, but he could tell that her eyes were alert which he took to be a good sign. She was also able to move when he sat on the bed, which was a vast improvement compared to her near-immobility that morning.

Corrin looked down as he felt a familiar set of slender fingers intertwining themselves around his, and he tightened his grip on them as he felt Azura's fore head with his palm. She was silent as he did so and closed her eyes to enjoy his warmth as he checked her temperature.

"It's gone done!" Corrin said, amazed. He turned towards the healer, who had just finished packing up his supplies. "Thank you, doctor. I don't know how I could ever thank you."

"If she starts to burn up or cough up blood again, make sure to ask for Doctor Levinsk," the healer said. "That's my substitute while I'm gone in Hoshido. He's quite a bit younger than me, and much more in shape," he chuckled, "but I can assure you he can provide the same quality of treatment for a hairsbreadth more."

Corrin nodded and shook the doctor's hand, who seemed surprised to see the king thanking him, a humble healer.

"Thank you, doctor…" Corrin waited for the doctor to introduce himself.

"Urnsbrath," the doctor said. "Geovanni Urnsbrath, but you are welcome to just refer to me as Geo, your highness."

"Thank you, Geo," Corrin said earnestly, still shaking his hand. "Provide me the details of your payment, and I'll personally arrange it myself to have you paid in full, along with any expenses you may need for your journey to Hoshido."

The doctor blinked. He was a good man, unwilling to take charity from others below him if he could help it, but this was a _king_ who was offering to pay him. Surely, nothing wrong with taking a trifle more than he needed from the rich, right?"

The doctor removed his bird-beak mask from his head and wiped his sweaty forehead with a handkerchief. "Well, if you wish, milord…"

* * *

As soon as Geovanni left the room, Azura turned her head towards Corrin and asked, "Can you open the curtains? I don't like not being able to see."

"I thought the doctor told me to—"

" _Corrin_."

Corrin sighed and chuckled ruefully. "Alright, alright," he said disarmingly. "Curtains and the risk of catching a cold it is, then."

Azura sighed in relief as she felt the cool sea breeze rush past her. Save for a pair of shorts and white tank top the doctor had her change into in order to treat her while preserving her modesty, she was almost naked, and _boy_ did it feel good to have the air brush up against her skin.

"You have _no_ idea how good it is to not be sick," Azura sighed, turning onto her back to snuggle her face into a pillow.

"I would know," Corrin said cheekily, sitting next to her on the bed. "flora and Felicia used to treat me all the time, you know."

"Did they now?" Azura said.

Corrin nodded. "Mmhmm. I think it was either Flora or Felicia that almost died trying to save me from a fever. I don't remember the details, but they took the heat from body in and gave me the coldness from their body. Either way, it worked wonders."

"Oh really?" Azura said, allowing a note of jealousy to slip into her tone.

Corrin picked up immediately and wisely chose to avert the topic. He gently slapped the bed next to Azura's head and outstretched arm, causing her to flinch a little bit in alarm. "Anyways, feeling any better?"

In response, Azura playfully wrapped her legs around Corrin's shoulders and chest and brought him down to her level so that his head was resting against her chest so he could listen to her heartbeats. "That answer enough for you?" she asked pleasantly.

"Hold on a moment," Corrin replied, prying himself free. "You're still sick, which means no kisses for you tonight."

"The doctor said that I'll be fine by morning," Azura retorted.

In response, Corrin gestured to the waning moon outside the window. "Doesn't look like morning to me," he said.

Azura rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said, not bothering to hide her disappointment. She cocooned herself in the blanket so only her face was visible. "You'll owe me tomorrow then."

Corrin grinned as he hung his cape over a nearby chair and stripped off his tunic. "We'll see," he said playfully.

* * *

A/N: I'm getting real tired of making these 4k+ words that consist of pure fluffs. I typically reserve those kinds of chapters for story driven, but this has no real impact on the story I got planned out, so I have a proposal.

If anybody knows who Nate-kun is, I suggest checking him out. He's a wonderful FE writer, and as of right now, he is currently working on a Three Houses work called "How's that Sothis?" Not trying to tell you to read his works (read mine instead :)) but this specific work consists almost exclusively of 100-300 word slice-of-life chapters. I want to do this for my future works, but it's help to you, the people, to want this or not. If nobody says anything otherwise, I'll be banging out probably 1-3 very short works a week instead of one long one every one week.

Deal? Deal.


	57. (T) A Maze of Opposition

A/N: Wanted to build relationship between people other than just Corrin and Azura

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem fates or any of its characters.

* * *

Corrin rubbed a spot on his forehead where a headache suddenly blossomed. Corrin was not an impatient man. On the contrary, Corrin was very patient and forgiving, always willing to lend an ear to anybody who needed it, but if there was anything in the world that was guaranteed to irritate him and topple the throne of calmness he sat on, it was holding court.

He didn't _hate_ holding court. He just didn't _like_ to hold it, and as Corrin tapped his foot in poorly concealed irritation, he found today to be the reason why he disliked the duty so much.

Corrin crossed his arms without bothering to conceal his impatience and irritation as he examined the two men before him.

The one on the right had a neck so thick, it forced his head to jut forward at nearly right angles to his shoulders, giving him a stubborn, somewhat dim-witted appearance. This was further intensified by how his heavy brow with its two cliffs of matted hair—almost long and thick enough that it would not look out of place on an ox—and bulbous lips that remained puckered into a pink mushroom, even when he spoke. Corrin knew better than to place his decision based solely on his appearances, however. No matter how rough the spine may look like, this book's words was as twisted and slippery as a jesters, if not more.

The only identifying feature of the second man was his pale skin, which Corrin knew was one of the defining characteristics of the Nohrians living in New Gyges. Hoshidans tended to tan more easily, while Nohrians, often going for weeks or months without properly bathing in the sunlight, often turned out as pale as a sheet of paper, though nowhere near as pale as Corrin, funnily enough. He held a knit wool cap that he wrung into a hard rope between his hands.

"You," Corrin said, pointing at him. "What was your name again?"

"J-Jerald, milord."

"Jerald," Corrin said, "How many of your chickens did he kill again?"

"T-thirteen, milord."

Corrin sighed and returned her attention to the thick-necked man. "I'm finding an uncanny coincidence here, Master Gambel. An unlucky number, by all accounts. This is the thirteenth time you've been accused of killing and eating Jerald's chickens, and it seems today is the day where your luck caught up with you."

Gambel shrugged. "Eh, never had much use for luck anyways. Back on the battlefield, ya gotta stay well-fed or else ya gonna be well-dead."

Corrin leaned forward and tapped the arm of the uncomfortable stone throne he sat on. "Listen to me, Gambel, and listen to me well. As forgiving as I can be sometimes, my patience is not infinite. Let me reiterate: this is the thirteenth time I've found you in my court. The fact that you were never arrested or punished in the past was because of the lack of circumstantial evidence. Even as thirteen is widely believed to be an unlucky number, today's fortune for you will be being found guilty of both theft and destroying someone else's property without offering proper recompense."

"I never denied it, my king."

Corrin tapped his finger on the clipboard Silas silently handed to him as he read the numbers scratched onto the parchment. "How did you even manage to eat thirteen chickens in _five_ days? Is your appetite _ever_ satisfied, Master Gambel?"

In response, Gambel gave Corrin a jocular grin and scratched the side of his face befor shrugging. The rasp of his untrimmed fingernails over his stubble annoyed Corrin, and it was only with an effort of will that he kept from asking him to stop and from rubbing his own, smooth chin. "Well, not to be disrespectful, milord, but fillin' ma stomach won't be such a problem if you fed us properly, what with all the work us builders work. I'm a large man, an' I need a bit of meat in ma belly after half a day lifting bricks and whatnot. I did ma best to not take anymore of Slim's chickens here—"

"'Slim?'" Jerald spluttered, indignant. "My name is Jerald! Your majesty, surely—"

Corrin silenced Jerald with a simple raise of his hand. "Quiet, Jerald. Your turn will come soon enough." He gestured towards Gambel again. "Continue."

"But two weeks of rations and watchin' these Hoshidans drive around all their animals they wouldn't share even if a man were starving…well, I'll admit, it broke me, made me give in to ma carnal pleasures, y'know? I ain't a strong man when I see a fat chicken, and I like plenty of it. An' I don't fancy I'm the only one willing to help himself. You only pick on me 'cause I'm the biggest."

 _And that's the heart of the problem,_ reflected Corrin. New Valla was built to be a nation that thrived on trade from Nohr and Hoshido. Being next to the sea was a boon as well, as it meant a near endless supply of food, but even Corrin had underestimated the massive influx of immigrants from both Hoshido and Nohr. Had it not been for the thousands upon thousands of starving peasants from Nohr and thousands upon thousands of farmers from Hoshido who never had to share with anyone other than themselves, they _would've_ had enough food, but with the massive population increase, Corrin and Azura had to impose a rather strict set of ration laws on the people, much to everyone's displeasure. Ryoma and Xander had given New Valla a substantial amount of gold in the event that such an event would come to pass, but even then, the sea could only support so much people.

"Your size has nothing to do with this," Corrin said. "And Jerald is not Hoshidan. He's from Nohr, the same as you." Corrin glimpsed Gambel's chocolate-brown eyes as he lifted his bushy eyebrows in surprise before letting them fall back down to cover his eyes. "And I understand your reasons. I too, am concerned about the current state of food in New Valla. However, New Valla is a _country_ and should the people give into their 'carnal pleasures,' as you described, imagine the chaos that would follow! Just because we are a new nation, that does _not_ give you or anyone else leave to ignore the rule of law as laid down by the royals from all three nations. Therefore, I order you to play a copper and a silver for each chicken you stole."

Gambel surprised Corrin by acceding without protest. "As you wish, milord," he said, bowing.

"That's it?" exclaimed Jerald. He wrung his cap even tighter. "A copper and a silver? That's barely a quarter of what I sell them for! If I sold them in any market, they'd—"

Corrin could not contain himself any longer. "Yes! You'd get more," he snapped, "but I happen to know that Master Gambel here cannot afford to give the chicken's full price, as I'm the one who provides his salary! As I do yours. You forget that if I decided to acquire your poultry for the good of New Valla, you'd get no more than a copper a chicken and be lucky at that. Do I make myself clear?"

"He can't—"

"Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?"

After a moment, the pale man subsided and bowed his head. "Yes, your majesty."

"Very well then," Corrin said. "You're both dismissed."

With an expression of sardonic admiration, Gambel touched his brow and bowed to Corrin before backing out of the throne room with his sullen opponent.

"You too," he said to the two guards standing on either side of the door. "Get back to the barracks and rest up. You deserve it for waiting through all that."

The guards relaxed momentarily before snapping back to attention and pounding their chest into their breastplate with a loud _clang_ as a gesture of respect. "Sir!"

As soon as they were gone, he slumped in the throne with an exhausted sigh. The stone throne was not meant to be comfortable, far from it. It was designed to remind the rulers of Valla, both old and new, that being the ruler came at a price, and right now, Corrin felt the price was his sanity.

"Congratulations," Silas said sardonically, breaking protocol to sit on the dais in front of the throne. His ornate lance lay on the ground beside him as he leaned back and removed his helmet, freeing his familiar cowlick from the confines of the metal helm. "I think that was first time I ever saw you lose your temper like that."

"I shouldn't have been so harsh," Corrin said, burying his face in his hands. "I should've tried to reach a more diplomatic solution."

"I think you did fine, Cory. As my mum—"

"Do _not_ call me Cory."

"As my mum used to say, a people has infinite wants, but a kingdom has infinite needs. You get what I'm saying?"

"You just memorized that from some old book," Corrin moaned, slumping back in his chair. "Trust me, I read enough of them. I don't need to fill my head with more random trivia."

Silas shrugged and got to his feet. "Whatever you say, Cory."

"Do _not_ call me—ugh, nevermind." Corrin removed his crown from his head and absentmindedly twirled it around his fingers. "Is there any more for today?" he asked.

Silas shook his head as he leafed through a small journal he kept in his pocket. "Nope. According to Otis, Jerald and Gambel's case were last on today's list. Next time, it'll be—"

"Stop," Corrin groaned, waving a hand. "Please, no. I'm too weak. I don't want to hear it."

Silas simply grinned. "Whatever you say."

Corrin tried not to let his relief show, though he knew Silas would've guessed either way. Once a week, he held an open court to resolve New Valla's various disputes. Anyone who felt that they had been wronged could seek an audience with him and ask for his judgement. He could not imagine a more difficult and thankless chore. He would almost prefer doing paperwork than holding an open court.

Almost.

An old adage from a book Xander used to read to him when he was young was "A good compromise leaves everyone angry." And so it seemed.

Returning his attention to the matter at hand, Corrin told Silas, "Tell Otis to have Gambel reassigned. Give him a job where his talents of words will be useful. Quartermaster, perhaps, or even cook, just so long as it's a job where he'll get full rations. I don't want to see him before me for stealing again."

"Would you prefer having him back in here for not feeding people because he ate all the food in the kitchen, or for breaking people's teeth by accidentally adding a brick to the soup?" Silas asked sarcastically. "He's a builder, not a world-class chef, Cory."

"Do not call me Cory!" Corrin said, temper flaring. "I swear, the next time you call me Cory, Silas, I'll…I'll…"

"You'll what?" Silas asked tauntingly.

"I'll…I'll be very displeased," Corrin said lamely. He slumped back again in his throne. "Yeah, that sounds threatening. 'I'll be very displeased.'"

"It sure is," Silas snickered. "I'm quaking in my boots right now."

"Shut it, you."

* * *

A/N: This is my lame "attempt" at world building. Let me know if you guys have any ideas for future chapters, I'm running out of ideas, again.


	58. (M) The Sound of His Heartbeat

When Azura pushed herself off Corrin and laid down next to him, panting and flushed with afterglow from their most recent activity, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. He kissed her lovingly on her brow and cheek before thumbing her cheek, wiping away a drop of sweat.

"Good?" he asked, his voice deeper and huskier than usual.

Azura wriggled the same way she always did whenever she heard Corrin's voice like that. It never failed to send the most pleasant of tingles down her spine whenever she heard him talk to her like that, and she responded by cheekily kissing him on the nose.

"Of course," she whispered back impishly. "Why wouldn't it be? You're the one doing the work, after all."

Her voice sounded higher-pitched than normal and there was a certain _breathlessness_ to it that she liked hearing and that Corrin did so as well, based on his reaction to her words. His eyelids fluttered shut as he pulled her in even closer so that he was practically crushing her against his chest, but Azura didn't mind.

In fact, there was no other place she wanted be besides Corrin's arms after a lengthy lovemaking session, but there was another reason why Azura didn't mind Corrin crushing her against her chest.

 _BA-BUMP_

A content smile found its way onto Azura's face as she closed her eyes and turned her head so that her ears were flat against Corrin's chest. She shifted her body so that she laid on top of Corrin again, her chest against his. Corrin breathed deeply as he moved so that Azura was more comfortable on top of him. Their legs intertwined once more, and Azura wrapped her left arm around and behind Corrin's neck. She knew she would most likely wake up without any feeling in that arm, but she couldn't bring herself to care at the moment.

She would gladly sacrifice any and all feeling in her arm if it meant being this close with Corrin.

 _BA-BUMP_

As for her other arm, Azura moved it up past Corrin's face, pausing for a moment to brush some white hair out of his eyes before continuing its way up past his face. Corrin's right arm was currently wrapped around Azura's waist, leaving his left arm to lie limply next to his head. Azura took advantage of this to wrap her fingers around Corrin's, squeezing twice.

Azura's heart fluttered as Corrin squeezed back twice and she briefly looked up at Corrin. In the dark, his red eyes seemed to glow, as it did now, and when Azura shifted to press a kiss against his neck, his eyes closed and a deep humming sound emanated from somewhere deep within his chest, accompanied by a very comforting vibration.

 _BA-BUMP_

When they married each other, Azura discovered she had an interesting (and slightly disturbing, according to Corrin) trait regarding Corrin's heartbeat. It seemed that no matter how fast Corrin's heart pulsed, Azura always managed to discern and tap out the same tempo, no matter the speed.

Corrin found it both amusing and disturbing, but Azura found it more curious than anything else. Was their bond so great that they were able to match each other's heartbeats?

 _BA-BUMP_

Azura replaced her head over Corrin's chest. For a moment, it seemed his heart beat faster than normal, though it wasn't long before it slowed. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as Corrin's breath passed over them.

Azura forced herself to remain completely still as she counted the time it took for Corrin to breath.

 _One…two…three…One…two…three…One…two…three…four…_

 _BA-BUMP_

Azura wasn't quite sure why she liked the sound of Corrin's heart so much. Some old memory of her studies back in Nohr told her that it was purely a biological thing, that humans liked listening to the heartbeats of their partner's because emotions exists in the body as well as the brain. Her music teacher would have said that it was because the human heart beat, on average, at a tempo most people gravitated towards. Her mother would've said it was because the sound of a heartbeat was the first sound a child hears when it is still in the womb.

Azura's opinion, however, was much simpler. She just _liked_ it.

She felt safe whenever she heard Corrin's heart. During the war, when Corrin had given her a bouquet of flowers for her birthday, she remembered how she reacted. She had blushed, of course, but that paled compared to what she had actually done. She remembered the look of surprise and happiness of Corrin's face when Azura gave him a hug. A short one, to be sure, but long enough for Azura to hear Corrin's heart for a fraction of a second. Their relationship was still in the works at the time, and while Azura felt vaguely attracted to Corrin at the time, it wasn't until she saw a Faceless carve a lip-less smile into Corrin's stomach that she realized she cared for him not just as an ally, or a friend, but as a _lover_.

 _BA-BUMP_

She felt comforted whenever she heard Corrin's heart. Following that horrifying injury, Azura would often spend many nights going without sleep, terrified of what nightmares would plague her. She always was a light sleeper but it became even more apparent when the nightmares came.

Sometimes, she would be plagued within images of her friends and family dying, their body's, still warm, lying face-down, motionless in a puddle of red. Once, she woke up, crying and babbling like a child when she had a nightmare of that exact same scenario, only instead of Ryoma, Takumi, Hinoka, or even Sakura, gods forbid, it was _Corrin_ who was lying on the blood-soaked ground.

She hadn't slept a wink that night.

 _BA-BUMP_

Whenever Azura heard Corrin's heart, it reminded her that he was alive and well. For every beat she felt in her ear, that was another second Corrin was alive. For every beat she felt in her ear, that was another second Corrin was with her. For every beat she felt in her ear, that was another second she could spend with Corrin.

She knew she only had a limited amount of time with Corrin on the world—everyone did with their loved ones—but she desperately wished she could spend every waking moment next to his side. Now, she knew that was impossible—they were the queen and king of their country and there will undoubtedly be times where she would not see Corrin for days or even weeks, but as the saying went, "absence makes the heart grow fonder."

She just desperately wished Corrin would leave her alone.

 _BA-BUMP_

Once, Azura had bolted upright in the dead of night, chest heaving and palm pressed into her chest as she looked around for Corrin. She had been dreaming that she was lying with Corrin, though she would never admit it. She knew it was impossible for Corrin to have been with her at the time—he was still awake and in a war meeting with Ryoma and Xander—but it felt so real, so... _right_ to have Corrin underneath her.

Maybe that was why she always wanted to be on top whenever they had sex. It wasn't just because she wanted reassurance, the feeling that Corrin could support her, both physically and emotionally, but it was also fulfilling, in a way, the dream she had that night. Now, she would never admit that she basically had a wet dream about the leader of an army during a war, but she certainly entertained the concept more times than she cared to admit.

 _BA-BUMP_

It was nice to be on the bottom sometimes, though. There was always something reassuring about the way Corrin curled his body into hers when he finished. Azura would follow shortly after, arching her back to push her softer chest into Corrin's more firm one. She would throw her head back, eyes rolling and mouth open in a silent keen before collapsing back onto their sheets, utterly spent and boneless, yet indescribably fulfilled.

Azura vividly remembered the first time she had been with Corrin. It was right after the marriage ceremony, when they consummated their marriage, when they made it complete in both blood and papers. She had...entertained herself before, admittedly, but that was nothing compared to how it felt when she eased herself onto him. It had hurt, of course, both during and after, but that was almost certainly due to her body not being "used" properly. She remembered the utter look of panic and relief on Corrin's face when a drop of blood dotted their bedsheets when they were done.

Corrin had panicked at the smell and sight of her blood and had almost called for a doctor before Azura embarrassingly explained that it was natural for all women to bleed a little during their "first time." At the time, it had been mortifying, but with the benefit of hindsight, Azura could often chuckle at how closed off each of them were back then.

 _BA-BUMP_

Azura used to think that she knew every aspect of Corrin, from his mannerisms to his habits, from his likes to his dislikes, but even she was caught off-guard by the sheer _weirdness_ of Corrin sometimes. She remembered her reaction when she casually slid a book into an empty slot on a bookshelf only for Corrin to snap at her, in a very irritated way, to put it in alphabetical order. Apparently, Corrin was quite the bookworm.

She also remembered being indescribably lost and confused when she revealed to Corrin her infatuation with chocolate brownies. Corrin had simply set his teacup down on the table and stared at Azura, slack-jawed, as she launched into a speech about how chocolate brownies were the food of the gods and were second to nothing except for maybe strawberries.

How could anyone disagree with her?

 _BA-BUMP_

Yes, Azura could count herself lucky. Lucky to have survived the war, of course, but also lucky to have met Corrin. Few women would say with confidence that the man they married was also the same man that saved them, either from themselves or from their enemies.

Azura used to hate herself. She hated living at the expense of others, despite her half-siblings saying otherwise, but it was only when Corrin said it that she believed it. Without Corrin, she was worthless. A scapegoat. A living reminder of her kingdom's fall. But with Corrin...that was a bit...different.

 _BA-BUMP_

When she first met Corrin, she felt vaguely interested in him. Annoyed and irritated at him at first, for both being a bit too social for her taste and for often interupting her singing, but as their war dragged on, what irritated her became endearing, and what was endearing simply became part of the whole that was _Corrin._

His charm, his unending trust in her, his refusal to surrender despite the odds... _his heartbeat_...all of those things were Corrin's.

And she wouldn't have it any other way.

 _BA-BUMP_

When she was certain Corrin had fallen asleep, Azura shifted again so that her head laid on Corrin's left pectoral, directly over his heart. Azura wanted to listen to the steady drone of his heart for as long as she could, but she had scarcely closed her eyes for more than a few beats before she felt herself drifting off to sleep as well.

By the time the blunette fell asleep, her heart was beating in tandem with Corrin's.

 _BA-BUMP_

* * *

A/N: you likey? Also, I've never slept with anyone before, so I have no experience in this. feels bad man


	59. (M) A Much Needed Talk

A/N: Hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of its characters.

* * *

Corrin and Azura were in their shared study together, preparing for the day's work, Corrin reading through a journal containing reports of today's events and Azura standing in front of a mirror, frowning and turning back and forth as she adjusted her clothes, when Flora and Felicia pushed open the door and walked in. From where he was sitting in his chair behind his desk, Corrin looked up from the book he was reading regarding the day's events.

"Lord Corrin," Flora said, smiling pleasantly towards him before looking at Azura. Instantly, her expression turned cold and the smile faded from her lips. "Lady Azura."

Felicia smiled apologetically towards Azura and Corrin as she bowed and greeted them. When Corrin raised an eyebrow at Felicia, all the salmon-haired woman could do was mouth back _sorry for the attitude._

"The throne room is ready," Flora reported, clasping her hands together in front of her skirt.

"And so are the nobles," Felicia added, her chirpy, bobbing demeanor in stark contrast to her sister's cold professionalism.

Corrin nodded and closed his book, setting it aside on the edge of the table. "Alright, then," he sighed, standing up and adjusted his cape, though it was more out of habit rather than it actually being askew. "Guess _somebody_ has to sit on that throne."

Azura rose to her feet soon after, hands slightly trembling as she adjusted the small crown on her head. After being coronated, both Corrin and Azura received a pair of crowns, one large and ornamental for formal occasions and one smaller and more suited for casual use. Corrin had adjusted to the smaller crown almost immediately while Azura was a bit…slower to warm up to it.

She hated wearing her crown. She hated how it mussed her hair and caused stray strands to randomly curl or stick out after taking it off after a long day. There was a reason why she wore her white head-dressing during the war. It wasn't just for modesty but to also keep her long aqua-blue hair in check.

But now that she was a queen…certain sacrifices must be made.

Flora smiled coldly. "Yes, well, better you than Lady Azura," she said, glancing at Azura. "No offense, milady."

"None taken," Azura said, a bit put-off by the fellow blue-haired woman's frostiness towards her. Flora had objected to suddenly being reassigned the position of serving as Azura's retainer instead of Corrin's maid, and though Azura quite frankly did not care about who was her retainer and who wasn't, Flora seemed to think the reassignment almost as an _insult_ to her abilities.

Felicia had been a bit more cheerful of the change, seeing as how she used to serve Corrin as both a retainer _and_ as a maid, which ironically meant the clumsy maid adjusted more quickly than the very image of professionalism that was her sister. Felicia warmed up quickly to Azura, and Azura returned the favor by even smiling politely once or twice at her chirpy behavior, but Flora, on the other hand…Flora was cold, distant, almost trying to see how far she could push Azura's temper before being reassigned without actually breaking protocol.

Felicia and Azura had discussed it only once before, in hushed whispers, but according to the pink-haired woman, Flora was _definitely_ the type of person to hold a grudge, no matter how big or how small. Apparently, serving as a retainer was more demeaning than serving as a maid, despite the former paying much more.

The book on Corrin's desk fell to the ground with a loud _thump_ , and everyone jumped at the sound.

"Sorry," Corrin apologized, smiling sheepishly as he got up out of his seat and reaching down to pick up the book. "Must've placed it wrong."

"Oh, no need to strain yourself, milord!" Flora said, instantly jumping to action. "I got it!"

"Flora!" Corrin said at the same time. "You don't need to—I got it!"

Despite his protests, Flora was instantly by Corrin's side, stooping down in his steed to retrieve the journal. While Flora bent down to pick up the journal, Felicia stepped towards Azura, eyes flashing to her head as a slight frown appeared on her face.

"Your crown's a little bit…skewed," she said, reaching towards her head. "Let me fix it for you."

Automatically, without thinking, Azura reached up to smack Felicia's hands out of her face.

"Don't touch me," she said flatly. "I can fix it myself."

Instantly, Azura regretted her harsh reaction. Surprise and a little bit of hurt flashed in Felicia's eyes before she nodded and backed away.

"Oh yeah, I forgot you don't like other people touching you," she said, trying for a smile. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Azura breathed. "Just…keep that in mind."

Flora, who had been the whole interaction with detached professionalism, suddenly shoved Corrin's journal into his arms. Corrin stumbled backwards from the force of the push and as he caught himself on the corner of his desk, Flora turned on her heels and marched out of the room, head raised, heels _clacking_. All without a word.

Felicia and Azura watched Flora march out of the room. As soon as Flora was gone, Felicia turned towards Azura and gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Sorry about my sister," she apologized. "I know you didn't mean to hurt me—and you didn't—but…she's rather…protective of me."

Azura's throat suddenly felt incredibly dry. She swallowed and blinked before replying, "I…I noticed."

Felicia darted forward to take Azura's hands in her own, and for once, Azura didn't try to automatically pull away. Squeezing her hands, Felicia said warmly, "I'll talk to her. That usually works."

"Usually," Azura repeated hollowly.

Felicia nodded and released Azura. "Don't worry, milady. She's…still adjusting. Give her a few weeks."

"A few weeks?" Corrin asked, raising an eyebrow. "Felicia, Flora's been acting this way towards Azura for _months_ now! You know that I'm not exactly the impatient or unforgiving type, but this is starting to get ridiculous."

Felicia bowed, closing her eyes. "I know," she said meekly. "But you know how she is. If she feels someone insulted her, she's going to take it personally."

Corrin and sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine," he said finally. "Talk to her. Let her know that her behavior at this point is…is almost _childish._ I know she probably feels me making you two into Azura's retainers is an insult to her abilities, but you have to tell her that it's not! In fact, it's practically the opposite! I—"

"Corrin," Azura interrupted, patting her husband's arm. "It's fine."

"It's not fine!" Corrin exclaimed. "She's treating you like the scum of the world here, but—"

"You're overreacting, Corrin," Azura said sharply. "I can take care of myself, alright?"

"Sure looks like it," Corrin said sarcastically. _That_ gave Azura pause. Corrin had never talked to her like that before.

"Excuse me?" she said. "What did you just say?"

Corrin grimaced and bit his tongue. He hadn't meant for that to slip out, but he was just so… _angry_ about this whole thing! Nobody could treat Azura like that! Not Flora, not Anankos.

Not even himself

"Nothing," he said, turning away. "I didn't say anything."

Azura took her husband's hand and forced him to turn so she could look into his eyes. Corrin did so begrudgingly and the raw amount of disgust Azura saw in them shocked her. She knew he could be a bit overprotective of her sometimes, but how many people could consider themselves a threat to the one they were protecting.

When Corrin tried to turn away, Azura reached up to his face and forced him to look at her. "Look at me, Corrin," she ordered. "Look at me."

Together, the two held a silent conversation, each imperceptible movement of their eyes an argument, each blink an exaggerated arm gesture. Felicia watched in silent interest, fearful any words on her part would disrupt the couple's conversation.

Finally, Corrin sighed and looked away. "Fine," he said. "Just…don't dig yourself a deeper grave."

"I won't," Azura promised. "It's not my first time bringing two opposing parties together to a mutual agreement."

Corrin nodded before turning towards Felicia. "Well?" he asked. "Do you accept?"

Felicia looked confused. "Accept…what?" she asked. "What am I accepting?"

"Our proposal, of course," Azura answered. "Didn't you hear?"

"Uh, you didn't say anything out loud," Felicia answered. "You two were, like, I don't know, having a talk without actually talking?"

Azura and Corrin both blinked in surprise. "We were?" Azura asked.

And the same time, Corrin said, "I was?"

The three of the, looking at each other, Felicia in amusement, Azura in embarrassment, and Corrin in confusion. Finally, Azura shook her head and said, "No matter. I…had a proposal for you. For both you and Flora."

"Really?" Felicia asked. "What kind of proposal?"

I…I want to have lunch with you and Flora some day this week so we can settle our differences," Azura said, looking away and nervously playing with a strand of her hair. She never being this forward, even with Corrin's encouragement. "I…I feel talking this out will be more…effe—"

"I accept," Felicia said.

Azura blinked in surprise. "Y-you do? B-but I—"

"I can't speak for Flora, but I think having lunch with you is a great idea!" Felicia said, clapping her hands together. "If I may, Lady Azura, but I always really wanted to get to know you better! You're so pretty sometimes, and I've always wondered a lot of things about you and when Lord Corrin made me your retainer, I thought that would be the perfect opportunity to learn more about you!"

Azura pursed her lips as she stepped unconsciously behind Corrin. "O-oh, she stammered. "T-thanks. I…I want to know you better too."

Felicia smiled warmly as she bowed. "Don't worry, I'll make sure we both show up. That's a promise!"

"Oh. T-that's good."

Before she left the room, Felicia paused at the doorway and looked back at Azura and Corrin. "Don't worry," she said supportively. "I'll talk with Flora tonight, see if she's on board. We'll have the two of you like friends in no time!"

Azura pressed her lips even tighter together as she nodded. When the _clack_ of Felicia's ears faded into nothing, she let go of Corrin and rubbed her forehead where a sudden headache just blossomed.

"What did we get ourselves into now?" she asked.

Corrin shrugged. "Hopefully a lunch between two blue-haired woman and a pink-haired woman with enough positivity and energy to put Elise to shame."

"Hopefully."

* * *

Later that night, when she was finally one organizing the mess that was Lord Corrin's study, Flora climbed into bed alongside Jakob. The butler had, in a rare moment of rest, let his hair down and was now reading a book on the "etiquette of parenthood" by candlelight.

Flora raised an eyebrow as she tapped the book with a finger. "What do you think you're reading? Not getting any ideas, I hope?"

Jakob raised an eyebrow at his wife's sharp tone. Normally, Flora was a lot more reserved, quiet, even gentle, but tonight, it almost sounded like she wanted to bash the book over someone's head.

And it was not a thin book either.

"Just…preparing for the future," Jakob coolly replied. "You never know if something goes wrong."

Flora frowned and crossed her arms as she leaned against the backboard of the bed. "Well, if you're trying to send me a signal tonight, don't bother. I'm really not feeling it."

That _really_ got Jakob's attention. Flora normally never let anyone bother her, considering it a side effect of working as a maid for so long, but the simple fact of her admitting that she was bothered said more than not.

Marking the page he was on and setting it aside, Jakob turned in their bed to wrap an arm around Flora. She shifted to make it easier for him to lay his arm across her chest.

"What did Lady Azura do this time?" Jakob asked. "Don't tell me she told you off for not doing your job right or—gods forbid—that she simply didn't need your help."

"No," Flora admitted, pressing herself further into Jakob. "Nothing like that."

"Then what then?" Jakob asked. "If you're going to sulk all night, at least leave me out of it."

Flora drew her arms around herself. "Fine, then," she huffed. "You really want to know?"

"That would be preferable."

"She slapped Felicia!" Flora exclaimed, turning to face Jakob. "She _slapped_ her, Jakob! Her crown was all askew and whatnot, but when Felicia tried to fix it, she slapped her!"

"Sounds like a shovelful of horse sod, if you ask me," Jakob said bluntly. "I don't particularly care for Lady Azura—and I mean that in the sense I consider serving her and polishing silverware to be both equally important—but I also know her well enough that she wouldn't slap anyone if they didn't deserve it. What did that bumbling oaf of your sister do?"

"I told you, she was fixing Azura's crown!" Flora said. "It was tilted! All she was trying to do was fix it for her and she had to go ahead and slap her!"

"I think you're being unreasonable," Jakob said bluntly. "Lady Azura is…rather unique. She prefers to keep yo herself, doesn't like other's company unless she permits it. That's how we get along so well."

"Well then, why don't you go ahead and marry her instead then?" Flora asked sarcastically. "I'm sure she'll give you a better job than a mere _retainer_."

Jakob sat up and looked at his fiancé incredulously, a shocked expression on the butler's normally apathetic face. "Flora, are you sure you're quite alright? That…I won't lie, but that hurt my feelings."

Flora pursed her lips before drawing their blanket tighter around herself. "Good," she said.

Jakob facepalmed. "Are you still upset about being Lady Azura's retainer instead of Lord Corrin's maid?"

"Yes," Flora said, her voice muffled.

"Why?" Jakob asked, flabbergasted.

"…you wouldn't understand."

"I think I would," Jakob harrumphed. "You're acting like a child, Flora. Tell me what's wrong, and I—"

"You really want to know what's wrong?" Flora asked venomously, throwing her sheets off. "I was _perfectly_ happy with serving Lord Corrin as a maid! Fuck, I'm willing to go a step further and say I was even _good_ at it! And then _Lady Azura_ had to stroll in and he decides to give me and Felicia away to her, _as if we haven't experienced that before_! The least she could do is be a bit more open towards us, but instead, all she does is stay in her room and brush us off whenever we try to talk to her! She always looks like she's judging me, and I _know_ I'm a better maid than a retainer, but—"

"Now you're _really_ acting like a child," Jakob interrupted.

Flora froze mid-rant. "What?"

Jakob cleared his throat. "I said you're acting like a child," he repeated. "Do you think Lord Corrin made the decision to 'give you away,' as he put it, lightly? No! He was utterly lost and confused for _months_ when he couldn't decide on who to pick as his retainer. Granted, the choice was pretty in hindsight: a butler pales in comparison to a ninja and a paladin, but the way you're acting makes you look like a spoiled brat than anything else! Did Corrin not ask you whether or not you were pleased to serve under him?"

"H-he did, but—"

"This is the reason why he asked!" Jakob said, waving his arms above his head. "He wanted to make sure you two were happy serving under him because he wanted you to be comfortable serving under his wife! Not because you were doing a bad job as a maid—that goes against at least fourteen different laws of physics, I think—but because he knew Lady Azura would need someone as skilled and talented you!"

"Then the least she could do is open up towards us and stop being so cold and distant," Flora retorted, turning away and crossing her arms.

Jakob took her by the shoulders and turned her back around. When she resisted, Jakob released her. "The reason why Lady Azura acts so off-putting towards you is because she's afraid that you two will be just as off-putting towards her! She would rather stay in the back rather than risk angering others, and quite frankly, I think that's a stupid tactic because obviously, you seem _very_ angered right now! You seem to have a hard time differentiating between being a vengeful, arrogant bitch and a shy, socially awkward person. News flash: you're sort of acting like the first one."

"Thanks," Flora said sarcastically. "I thought you men were supposed to act as a shoulder for us to cry on, not calling us a bitch when we're emotionally compromised."

Jakob laughed humorlessly. "You're not emotionally compromised. If you were this bed would be an ice rink. Last time I checked, either ice is supposed to give you a concussion when you smash your head into it, or my head should be used as an icebreaker on the prow of a ship."

Despite herself, Flora found herself chucking at Jakob's trademark self-deprecating humor. "Stop it," she said, "I'm trying to be angry. Stop making me not angry."

"Quite frankly, I don't really care," Jakob said, shrugging. "All I see in your arguments are a whole bunch of flaws. You say Corrin gave you away without your permission. Technically, yes, that's true, but he also went out of his way to make sure you two would be comfortable with the idea before doing so. Second, you feel Lady Azura is being cold towards you. That's not true. That's just how she is, and you know how hard it can be to warm up to somebody you've never talked much with before. If you feel Corrin only moved you to the position of retainer because you thought he felt you were doing a poor job as a maid, then ask yourself this, why did your sister come in before you to tell me to tell you that Lady Azura wanted to have lunch with you tomorrow?"

Flora froze. "What?" she asked. "Who wants to do _what?"_

"Lady Azura," Jakob said slowly, "wants to have lunch with both you and Felicia. Apparently, she feels bad about something. What it is, I don't care, but I feel it would be…beneficial for you to talk this out with Lady Azura instead of complaining and screaming at me when it's _one in the morning._

Flora blushed as she glanced at the thin wooden door. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Jakob said. "You were a bit worked up, truth be told."

Flora simply pursed her lips but said nothing as she looked out the window, the moonlight making her pale skin practically glow in the dark. His expression softening, Jakob took her by the shoulders and steered her towards the bed.

"Come on, you," he said gently. "It's cold, even for me, and I doubt you'll behave as good as you are now when you wake up sleep-deprived."

Flora did not resist when Jakob pulled her to bed, but when he extinguished the candle and laid down beside her, his breath slowing, Flora turned and whispered, "Sorry about my…complaining."

In response, Jakob only chuckled. "Ah, I've heard worse. Try putting a pair of scissors next to Lord Corrin's ear and see how he reacts."

Flora's giggle was the last sound either of them heard that night.

* * *

The next morning, Azura was sitting alone at small, carved stone tables in the gardens. As it was her and Corrin's day off, she decided to dress a little bit more casually. Instead of the dresses she wore practically everyday, she opted to wear something a bit more "social," as Corrin put it.

Her clothing was simple, consisting of a simple white skirt with a black, form-fitting tunic and a small jacket with ruffled cuffs, but Azura found she rather liked the feeling. Seems like she liked the simple life. No wonder why Corrin wanted that cabin by the lake to serve as their private "Vvilla."

Azura tapped her foot nervously. Was she late? Did they already leave? Or did Flora and Felicia simply decide not to show up? She wouldn't be surprised if they did, Azura guessed. She _did_ sort of slap Felicia's hands yesterday.

The signature clack of heels gave Azura's thoughts pause and she looked up to see Flora and Felicia walking towards her on one of the garden's many paths. Flora was dressed in her signature uniform, the black dress with white ruffles culminating in a heart shape on her sternum. Felicia, on the other hand, was a stark contrast to her sister's somber black and whites. The pink-haired woman was dressed in a white top with a red vest buttoned over it, her signature ice-blue gem lodged firmly on her chest. She wore a short pink skirt with a belt around her waist and had red stockings reaching up her legs. Her hair was down, which surprised Azura at it's deceptive length, reaching nearly to her hip.

As soon as Felicia saw Azura sitting at the table, she gestured excitedly to Flora before grabbing her hand and dragging her over to where Azura was sitting.

"Hi!" Felicia chirped, pressing the front of her skirt down to prevent it from blowing up. "Sorry we're late. _Some_ of us," she glanced pointedly at Flora, "decided to take our sweet time getting dressed."

Flora simply pursed her lips and looked away but said nothing. Azura tried for a polite smile but all that came out was a spasmodic twitching of her lips.

"U-uh…t-tea?" Azura offered, holding up the teapot. "I-I boiled it myself this morning so neither of you would have to work!"

"Really?" Felicia asked. "Thanks."

She ribbed Flora gently in the ribs. "Flora, say thank you!"

"This is pointless," Flora responded, not looking at Azura. "I mean no disrespect, my queen, but surely, you must understand how strenuous the process of preparing a wedding might be."

"I…I do," Azura answered truthfully. "If you don't—"

"Nuh-uh!" Felicia said, jumping up to push her sister back down into her seat. "We all know you're lying. You and Jakob are too organized. You two practically planned and organized anything within a week! All you two have to do is wait until the date arrives!"

Having been caught, Flora sat back down and reluctantly accepted the teacup Azura pushed equally as gingerly towards her. An incredibly awkward silence followed, with Azura and Flora's eyes never leaving their reflection in the tea and Felicia looking between them in exasperation.

"Oh, come on!" she exclaimed once Azura set her empty teacup down. "There's got to be _something_ you two want to talk about."

"Felicia's right," Azura said. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat before sitting up straight to look at Flora and Felicia. "Flora. Felicia. I've arranged this time so I could apologize to the two of you for how I've been treating you. I..I propose that we talk to each other not as retainer and queen, but as equals."

When Flora continued to stare at her teacup, Felicia gave her a swift kick underneath the table, causing the blue-haired woman to yelp. After shooting Felicia an ice-cold glare, Flora sullenly said, "And we've accepted your proposal for tea because…we also wish to apologize for our unprofessionalism. And we accept your other proposal"

Felicia sighed in relief. At least they got part one over with. Now, there's…just a lot more parts.

When another awkward silence followed, Felicia pinched Flora's leg, causing her to yelp again. Azura gave them a curious look.

"Can you stop?" Flora asked. "Stop kicking me!"

"Then talk!" Felicia whispered back. "I'm trying to keep a conversation going, so can you perhaps _not_ shut up like a hermit clam?"

"She doesn't want to be here!" Flora hissed, glancing at Azura who was tactful enough to pretend she didn't hear. "And neither do I!"

"She only looks like that because she's not sure how to continue too!" Felicia retorted. "Now man up before I bring up how you once froze Father in a block of ice!"

 _That_ caused Flora to freeze, and so reluctantly, she said, "Lady…Lady Azura?"

"Yes?"

Flora took a deep breath before continuing. "I've…I've decided to take a page out of Jakob's book. I will tell you, as bluntly as possible, why I dislike working for you and why I dislike you as a person."

Azura blinked, a little bit surprised at her candor. It seemed she really did take a page out of Jakob's book after all. "Uh, g-go ahead."

Flora set her teacup down and looked at Azura straight in the eyes. "I was against working as your retainer at first because Corrin reassigning us felt like how my sister and I were taken as hostages by Nohr when we were children. My sister had accepted the feeling long ago, but I was…still behind."

Azura blinked again, this time in surprise at how badly their reassignment must've reminded them of their childhood. "O-oh," she said. "I-I see."

"Is that it?" Flora asked. "'I see?'"

Azura pursed her lips. "Yes, well…I'm sure you know that I'm…not the greatest at talking with people. I-I've never been quite comfortable with talking to strangers."

"Well, that's why we're here!" Felicia chirped. "We're here so we can learn more about you and so you can learn more about us!"

"I thought we were here to settle our differences," Flora said sardonically.

"That too," Felicia said, "but stop letting me distract you! Continue!"

"Ah, yes. Of course," Azura said. "Um, in response to that…I…I apologize for how I can come off. At first. I-I know I can be…cold. And distant. And unsociable. And hard to talk to. B-but I promise, Flora, I'm not anything of those things to you because I dislike you o-or anything—I honestly think t-that you're a really k-kind and friendly person—but I want to know you better. E-even…call you…a…friend?"

The word sounded strange and foreign in Azura's mouth when used to describe someone other than Corrin.

Flora, on the other hand, looked surprised that Azura just spoke more than five words. "I-I see. I would also like to tell you that I felt embittered because I felt our reassignment was a comment on my old quality of work. I-I took that anger and frustration and used it as an excuse to treat you badly. I'm…I'm sorry."

Both Flora and Azura looked up when Felicia squealed excitedly. "Oh my gods!" she gasped. "I can't believe it! You guys apologized to each other!"

Azura couldn't help but smile at Felicia's infectious mirth. "W-well, that went a lot better than I thought," she said.

"I feel the same," Flora said, rolling an eye at her sister's enthusiasm.

A _third_ silence fell between them, only this time, it was Azura who broke it by asking, "So…when is the wedding for you and Jakob?"

Flora set her tea down before answering frostily, "Oh, sometime next month. We haven't decided on an exact date, but we thought next month would be a good time."

Azura's eyebrows furrowed. "But…didn't Jakob propose to you a week ago?"

Flora nodded and took another sip. "He did," she confirmed. "We…we just organized and planned everything in a week."

Azura blinked in surprise. "Oh," she said simply. "I wish Corrin and I could've done that. It took us five months to get everything planned out, and that wasn't even including the paperwork Corrin had to deal with for the proposal."

"How did he propose?" Flora asked, genuinely interested.

"With a song, of all things," Azura admitted, chucking. "Are you familiar with Tatsuya Shigure? The Nestrian composer?"

"Sounds familiar," Felicia said thoughtfully. "Wasn't he the one who was the daughter of Nohrian duchess and some random Hoshidan ninja?"

"The very same," Azura nodded. "Anyways, Corrin managed to get his hands on one of Shigure's original works, for around fifty gold."

" _Fifty_?" Felicia asked incredulously. "I thought they went for millions!"

"That's almost exactly what I told him," Azura said, smiling. "Anyways, his proposal was a duet between the two of us; I sang, he played the piano."

"That's sweet," Felicia commented.

Azura blushed. "Yes, well, around the middle of the song, he gets up and starts singing with me! And then he proposed to me."

"Just like that?" Flora asked.

Azura nodded. "Final note, he got down on his knee and proposed, right then and there."

Flora and Felicia looked at each other. Felicia simply shrugged and said, "Well, that's Corrin for you. Always has to go and add his special touch to everything."

Flora giggled. "The Corrinthium virus," she said.

Azura looked at Flora and Felicia giggling to each other like schoolgirls in confusion. "Excuse me, the _what_ virus?"

"The Corrinthium virus," Felicia laughed. Flore nodded alongside her. "Corrin always had to go and add a pinch of, well, _Corrin_ to everything he did, and it was _never_ subtle, so every time we saw something he touched, we said it had Corrinthium."

Azura smiled, the twin's mirth catching on. "Yes, well, that's my husband for you. How did Jakob propose?"

Flora had to stop herself from snorting when she said, "He didn't technically. He accidentally dropped the box somewhere when we were visiting my village and he thought I dropped something so he went to pick it up for me and—there it was! The ring!"

The two women laughed.

"Well, you know how I got proposed to," Felicia said, wiping away a tear when the laughter died down. "Big old crowd around us, and of course, Silas thought that was the perfect time to propose."

This time, Azura joined the other two women in their laughing. Maybe there was a chance after all.

* * *

"So, Flora," Azura asked, pouring herself _another_ cup of tea. They've been talking for what felt like hours now, but Azura found no reason to leave, and neither did the two retainers, apparently.

"Yes?" Flora asked, pushing her teacup forward so Azura could fill it. She did so.

"Why are you wearing your old maid uniform?" Azura asked. "I'm not judging you for it, but I was curious as to why you wore that instead of the New Vallite ones."

Flora shrugged as she adjusted the bow with her red gem in the center of it. "I…it just suits me better," she said. "I suppose the new ones are a lot more practical, with their longer skirts and all, but I guess this old uniform still means something to me."

Felicia nodded as she scarfed down another muffin. "Oh yeah, that's what they don't tell you when you become a maid," she said. "You know how me and Flora always keep out hands clasped in front of our skirts?"

Azura shook her head. "I never noticed, but tell me."

"Well, it's always because of a _really_ annoying and _huge_ design flaw," Felicia said. "Out skirts have a sort of structure to them, which allows them to keep their shape, but that design applied to the front as well. Take a took at Flora's—" she gestured to Flora to stand up, "See how the black parts of the skirt cover more? There's no black part in front! I don't know why!"

"So that's why you always keep your hands down in front of your skirt," Azura mused. "It's more for personal privacy. I always thought it was some sort of protocol."

"It sort of was," Flora said, sitting back down. "Our apparel options were…limiting. In fact, the only piece of clothing we had any freedom in choosing was, well…this." She gestured to her breasts. "You know how these things work. Every woman is different."

"I wouldn't know," Azura shrugged. "I'm, what, in my mid-twenties and I'm _still_ waiting for them to pop out."

All three women laughed. Felicia reached forward to take Azura's hand. "Don't worry," she said sympathetically. "Trust me, ours aren't anything like Lady Camilla's, but they still get in the way sometimes."

Azura giggled. "Sure doesn't look like it," she said.

"That's because we've had _many_ years of practice," Flora said.

Felicia nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's true. And it's not just because we're maids! Mine popped out when I was…what, eleven? Twelve?"

"Does it matter?" Flora asked. "Yours grew earlier than mine!"

All three women burst into laughter again.

"Ah, boob jokes," Felicia sighed. "How I've missed you."

Setting her teacup down, Azura asked, "Wait, so does that mean both of your—"

"No," Felicia and Flora said at the same time.

"Don't let this whole 'twin' thing confuse you," Felicia said. "The only identical thing about us is out appearance, and apparently, breasts missed the memo."

Flora nodded. "It's…complicated," she said. "We stopped comparing a long time ago, but it should be pretty obvious we're not the same size."

"It's the uniform's fault, really," Felicia said. "With rare exceptions, they were all made with the concept of 'one size fits all,' in mind."

"But we usually just say yes to get creepy men off our backs," Flora added. "A lot easier that way."

"Oh," Azura said. Leaning forward, she said, "Wait, you said that all of your clothes save bras were picked out for you?"

Felicia nodded. "And even then, they had to be a certain color," she said, rolling her eyes as if to say _can you believe it?_

Azura gestured vaguely downwards. "Then what about…"

Felicia nodded solemnly. " _Especially_ down there. Guess nobles in Nohr have a habit of…how do I say this, 'taking maids for a walk,' which meant they literally picked out our underwear for us."

"That's...disturbing," Azura said. "And horrible."

Flora nodded in agreement. "Yes, well, lucky for us that Corrin's not the type of person to sexually dominate us," she said. "Us twins can be considered… _exotic."_

Felicia nodded. "Oh yeah, one time, these women, they were maids just like us and they were also twins too! One day, they just straight-up vanished! Couple months later, guards found them _literally stitched together_ in one of the noble's mansions!" She shuddered. "People always have the wrong idea about us twins."

"Do they now?" Azura asked. "What's one of them?"

Flora and Felicia shrugged at the same time. "People think we can communicate telepathically," Flora said.

"It's really annoying," Felicia added.

"—especially when people—"

"—tell us to—

"—say something to—"

"—each other and—"

"—tell us what they said—"

Azura closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. "Ugh, please stop," she said. "That's both really creepy and really headache-inducing."

Flora and Felicia both looked at each other and giggled. "Now you know how it feels," Felicia said.

When Azura looked at the two women, she suddenly noticed the gem embedded in the bow on their chests. "Why do you two wear opposite colors?" she asked.

Felicia looked at Flora in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Azura gestured towards their bows. "Felicia, you're wearing a gem that's light-blue, Flora, you're wearing one that's red. Why is that?"

The two women looked down at the mentioned gems before suddenly laughing.

"Oh, that's a simple question," Flora said.

"It's an old prank we did to confuse our father—"

"—back before our hair color—"

"—started to develop—"

Azura laid her head down on the table. "Oh, please stop."

Suddenly, what Flora and Felicia just said came to her attention. "Wait, when your hairs colors 'developed?'" she asked. "You were born with different colored hair?"

Felicia nodded. "Yep!"

"Most people in our tribe have gray or black hair," Flora explained. "We were special, whether it was because our ice powers were greater than the rest or simply because—"

"—or simply because we were twins and blue and red combine to make gray," Felicia interrupted.

"They _do not_ make gray!" Flora said, scowling. "They make purple!"

"You're no fun sometimes, you know that?" Felicia said, crossing her arms.

Flora took a moment to compose herself. "Sorry," she apologized. "My sister and I have this conversation a lot. She seems to think our unique hair color is because of a factually incorrect color wheel while I believe it simply means our powers are greater compared to the rest of the tribe."

"It certainly felt like it," Azura said, recalling how Camilla and Flora stood against them during the Invisible War.

Azura tapped the table with a finger thoughtfully. "Your hair was a lot longer than I expected," she said to Felicia.

Felicia ran a hand through her hair as she frowned. "Is it?"

Azura nodded. "You always put it into a ponytail or similar style, so I thought it would be a lot shorter."

"Well, it's a pain," Flora said. "She hasn't cut it since we were eighteen, and when we bunked together, she _always_ asked me to brush it for her."

"Well, how long is _yours_ then?" Felicia asked jeeringly.

In response, Flora reached up to one of her pigtails and unfastened it, letting her hair fall. Like Felicia's, it was a lot longer than Azura expected, but unlike Felicia's, it only reached down to her back instead of her hips.

" _That's_ how long it is," she jeered back.

"Wow," Azura deadpanned. "You two must have it rough, having so much hair."

Felicia and Flora both looked at Azura's hair and how she had to gather it and bundle it up like a spool of yarn in order for her to sit in a chair without also sitting on her hair.

"Oh. Sorry," Flora apologized. "We forgot that you had the worst case of bed head in the morning."

Azura sighed. "And here I was, hoping that nobody remembered that from the roster," she said.

"Don't worry!" Felicia said cheerfully. "It looks really pretty on you! How do you take care of it?"

Azura lifted a strand of hair and rubbed it with her finger. "Honestly? I don't know," she admitted. "I've been used to it being so long, washing it is just…second nature."

"Well, it looks really nice," Flora commented. "It's a bit like mine, but obviously a lot shorter."

"It also helps that I'm a Vallite," Azura added. "Vallites don't get a lot of oil or grease in their hair, so I suppose that alleviates some of the pain."

"Oh yeah, that's true," Felicia said. "My hair's pretty long and it takes _forever_ to wash it when I'm bored."

"So that's why you ask me to do it for you," Flora deadpanned.

Felicia stuck her tongue out at Flora. "Well, unlike you, when you get oil in pink hair, it's a _lot_ more noticeable."

Flora was about to respond when she felt someone touch her hair. Freezing, she looked down to see Azura gently running her hands through the strand of hair she let down in her previous demonstration.

"Wow," Azura marveled, "it's…soft. What do you use to wash it?"

Flora smiled. "Elder berries and wintershrub leaves conditioner," she said proudly. "It really helps in getting that ice-cold _zing_ , if you know what I mean."

"I use mint!" Felicia said proudly.

Flora rolled her eyes. "For the last time, Felicia, you use mint- _scented_ conditioner, not _mint_!"

"They both smell the same!"

Shaking her head, Flora asked Azura, "What do you use?"

Azura shook her head to break out of the trance Flora's hair had on her. It was rare to see another with blue hair such as hers. "Oh, I-I use a strawberry-scented conditioner," she said. "I get it from an old Vallite who specializes in making soap for the royal family. With us Vallites having such a close affinity with water, it's no surprise we have a very specific method for keeping the royal hair as blue as it is."

Flora leaned forward, interested. "Really?" she asked.

Azura nodded. "Apparently, it 'keeps the blue in' and the 'nonblue out,'" she said.

"Does it ever bother you how much it weighs?" Felicia asked. "I mean, I put my hair in a bun and swing my head around and I can feel my neck cracking!"

"Well, there's always a reason why I never put it up," Azura admitted. "I think my wedding was my first time in _years_ where I didn't leave it down."

"Why don't you cut it, then?" Flora asked. "If it's such a bother, then just get rid of it."

"It's really not that annoying," Azura said. "Well, it is, sometimes, but most of the time, it's pretty obedient. Plus, in Vallite traditions, women only cut their hair when they lose the loved one closest to their heart."

Felicia nodded, understanding. "Well then," she said, "Let's hope you don't cut it anytime soon!"

All three women burst into laughter once again.

* * *

Corrin sighed in satisfaction as he leaned back in his chair, a stack of completed papers before him. As always, he hated doing paperwork, but true to Ryoma's and Xander's claims, the workload lessened immensely now that everything in New Valla was settled. It was as time consuming as ever, but now Corrin felt a faint sense of satisfaction whenever he signed his name on some random report or letter, knowing that each careful flourish of his quill meant bettering the life of someone in New Valla.

But that didn't make it any less tedious, however.

Plus, with Azura gone, it fell on him to finish her reports for the day, which he didn't mind. He just wished they hurried it up.

So when Azura pushed open the door leading into the study mere moments after Corrin leaned back, he was instantly sitting back up, alert. As soon as he realized it was Azura and not some random servant, however, he quickly relaxed, letting his shoulders sag, before jumping out of his seat to beeline towards Azura.

As soon as he reached her, he threw her arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. Azura, as usual, did nothing to resist her husband's affectionate advances and even let out a rare giggle as he kissed her gently on the forehead, his long white hair ticking her cheek.

"Hey there," Corrin breathed, his breath warm on her face. "How was your day?"

"Pretty good," Azura replied cheekily. "Took a walk through the gardens, had lunch with Flora and Felicia."

"Oh, really?" Corrin asked, raising his eyebrows. "How went it?"

Azura smiled. "A lot better than expected," she said truthfully.

Corrin's shoulders sagged in relief. "Oh, that's good," he said.

"They also told me to tell you something," Azura added.

"What?"

Azura stood up on her tiptoes and whispered something into his ear. Corrin frowned in confusion when she fell back to her heels. He looked at her, completely lost.

"They want to thank for…'not being sexually dominant?'" he asked.

Azura coyly looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. "I'll see you in bed," she said. "You better be 'dominant' tonight."

* * *

A/N: Hope y'all mind the changes in character I made to Flora and Felicia. Fates...didn't have the strongest characters, which is a huge hurdle, but I felt giving Felicia an excitable personality and Flora a more deadpanned, sensitive one to be more interesting, and look at how that turned out! Also, Jakob appears for the first time in forever!


	60. (T) A Hairy Situation

A dagger was pressed to the side of Corrin's head.

"Alright, you. Hold still."

Save for the flailing of his eyeballs and the rapid rise and fall of his chest, Corrin did as his imprisoner ordered. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead as the tip of the dagger appeared in the corner of Corrin's vision.

"Hold on," the voice said. "This should only take a minute."

Corrin swallowed nervously as he felt something pull at his hair. When the flat edge of the dagger touched the tip of his ear, however, Corrin broke all restraints and leapt out of the chair, clutching his ear.

"Ow!" he shouted, bouncing up and down as if he had just stubbed his toe. "Be careful, Azura! That hurt!"

Azura, for of course it was her, rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Really, Corrin?" she asked, frustrated. "I _barely_ touched you that time!"

"Nuh-uh!" Corrin replied. "You didn't just 'barely' touch me, you _did_ touch me!"

"You were the one who was complaining about their hair getting in the way," Azura countered, hands on her lips as she leaned in towards Corrin, who pressed himself up against the wall. "If you're going to be complaining all week about your hair poking your eyes but not let me cut it, then you can do it yourself!"

"I can't, though!" Corrin whined, trying to pull off a puppy-eye look. "I can't feel the tips of my ears!"

"Then how come you felt the knife just now, huh?" Azura asked. When Corrin struggled to reply, she simply nodded and took him by the arm. " _Exactly._ Uh-huh, that's what I thought."

Corrin struggled to pry himself free as Azura dragged him back to the chair. On her way, the blunette grabbed a coil of rope "accidentally" left there by Silas.

Corrin clawed at the air as his bare feet slid back, inch by inch. He reached out desperately towards the closed wooden door, where he knew Silas and Lilith were standing guard. "No! No! Silas! Lilith! Help! Help me! He—urk!"

Azura forcefully shoved Corrin down into the chair. Before Corrin could reach up to clear his long hair out of his eyes, Azura had managed to tie him to the chair. Corrin innefectually rocked the chair back and forth as Azura finished tying the knot behind him.

"U-uh, Azura?" Corrin asked nervously. "What're you doing?"

"Finishing what I started," she replied simply. "Now hold still and I promise I won't touch your ears."

"W-wait, Azura! Let's talk about this! We can settle this matter like reasonable adu— _eek!"_

* * *

Outside the door, Lilith had to stifle a giggle by covering her mouth with her hands while Silas was bent over, cackling. When Silas managed to straighten back up, he sighed and wiped a tear away from his eye.

"Oh gods," he said breathlessly. "I don't think I've laughed that hard since I saw Felicia get stuck after jumping headfirst into that snowbank!"

Lilith nodded along mirthfully. "I…I hope my brother won't be…too angry for abandoning him to Azura," she said between breaths.

"I swear, that woman's a bloodwolf in sheep's clothing sometimes, honestly!" Silas wheezed. "I've never seen her that serious about anything!"

"You'd be surprised how much Corrin means to her, then," Lilith said, her laughter subsiding.

Lilith was able to regain her composure just in time as a patrolling pair of guards walked past. The two men nodded politely towards her but gave Silas a confused look as they walked past. All Lilith could do was shrug as if she were saying _what can you do about it?_

Silas pressed a palm to his chest as he gasped for breath, leaning on the door for support. "Hey, Lily?"

Lilith frowned at his nonchalant use of her "nickname." "Do _not_ call me Lily," she said, her cheer gone. "It's not 'Lil,' or 'Lily,' or even 'Lilth.' It's _Lilith_. In fact, if you call me 'Lilth,' I will march up to my brother and order him to put you on latrine duty for a _week_ , got it?"

Silas shrugged and waved a hand nonchalantly. "Yeah, yeah," he said, still somewhat breathless. "You hear as many threats as I have, they just sort of roll of. Don't worry, Lily, I won't call you Lilth. In public, that is."

Lilith felt blood rushing to her face as she reared on Silas and raised a finger, as if about to smack him. Laughing, Silas cowered back, raising his hands to protect himself.

"Listen up here, you," Lilith started. "Corrin will _end_ you!"

Silas laughed as she jokingly swept her hand towards him. He dodged it easily, but he couldn't resist getting in another lick as Lilith retracted her hand to return to her waiting position.

"He's got to catch me first, Lily!"

"Oh, you—!"

* * *

Almost an hour later, Azura opened the door, looking thoroughly worn out. At Silas and Lilith's curios expressions, she jabbed a finger over her shoulder. "Job's done," she said tiredly. "I'm going to wash all this sweat and hair off myself."

"You do that," Silas said as Azura shambled past him, arms and feet dragging. He nodded towards Lilith. "Make sure you have that tome thing ready. We only have one shot at this."

Lilith nodded and pulled out the tome in question. According to Otis, this same kind of tome was used to create the incredibly life-like portrait of him and his late wife. When questioned on how he got it, however, the older man had unusually kept his lips sealed.

"It's a secret to everybody," he said.

At Silas' signal, the two of them crept into the converted office. Lilith looked back to see Silas quirking an eyebrow as he gestured to the floor. Countless strands of white hair littered the ground, forming a perfect trail of footsteps leading into the adjacent washroom. Inside, Silas and Lilith could hear someone muttering to themselves.

Silas gestured silently to Lilith's tome, and then to the door. Understanding, Lilith crept towards the door and quietly pushed it open. Standing in front of the mirror was Corrin, clutching at his head as he muttered something under his breath.

His long white hair, which once reached down to his shoulder blades, was now back to it's original length during the Invisible War. Instead of his hair reaching almost halfway down his back, the edges of his hair now barely reached the end of his neck.

Silas couldn't help himself. He let out a quiet snicker at the distraught expression on Corrin's face as he checked himself out in the mirror. Instantly, Corrin spun around and saw Lilith crouching on the ground, tome pointed towards him, and Silas snickering to himself behind her.

"Hey!" he shouted, his face turning red. "Get out!"

Quickly, Lilith cast the spell needed to activate the tome and a bright flash filled the room as the magic did its work. Corrin covered his eyes with his forearm as he reared back.

Silas and Lilith, being on the opposite side of where the light had originated from, were spared the worst of the blindness. As Corrin blinked the spots out of his eyes, Silas took Lilith's arm.

"We gotta go," he said urgently before taking off. Lilith looked back and forth between Silas disappearing around the corner and Corrin rubbing his eyes before taking the cowardly option and fled the room.

When Corrin's vision finally settled, he looked around in confusion. "Lilith? Silas? Where are you?"

When nobody responded, he cracked open the door and peaked outside the room. Instantly, he knew what happened. Based on how scattered the hair on the ground was, Lilith and Silas must've made a run for it.

"Ah, hell."

* * *

When Corrin pushed open the door leading into his room, Azura had already washed up and was dressed for bed. She was sitting cozily in the blanket, reading a book, when Corrin walked in. Upon his entrance, she smiled sheepishly at him.

"Hi," she said. "Nice haircut."

"Thanks," Corrin grumbled. "You were the one who gave it to me."

"Well, you were the one asking for one," she replied simply. "I never would've touched you if you didn't complain so much."

"I've always liked it long," Corrin offered as his defense.

When he pulled off his shirt in preparation to wash up before climbing into bed, Azura reached under the covers and slid something towards him. "Here," she said. "I just got a delivery from you sister."

"Lilith?" Corrin asked, picking up the object. It was a small, rectangular package, about the size of a thin book.

"What is it?" Corrin asked, shaking the package.

"I…wouldn't do that," Azura warned. "She told me to give it to you. Maybe you should try opening it."

Frowning slightly, Corrin tore the brown paper away. His frown only deepened as he held it up to the light to see.

"What is…oh my gods, I'm going to kill her and Silas."

Azura stifled a giggle by coughing. "What is it?" she asked innocently.

In response, Corrin simply turned the piece of paper around and showed it to Azura. "It's me," he deadpanned. "They snuck up on me and painted a portrait. Of me. In the washroom. Without hair."

Azura was too busy laughing at the dead look on Corrin's face as he set it on a nearby table. He sat on the edge of the bed next to a gasping Azura and put his face in his hands.

"All three of you are dead to me."

Azura just laughed even harder.

* * *

A/N: Hope y'all mind the change in character I did for Silas. In the game, he was just so... _bland_. Thought I'd try spicing things up, mix things up a little, make him like Gaius: playful, enjoys having a great time, but will never actually slack off on his duties or mean genuine harm to his friends.

Edit: Fun note, I actually wrote this _before_ the last chapter, which meant I wrote this first _then_ I wrote the previous chapter, hence the double upload. What can I say except you're welcome?


	61. (T) A Vow Upheld

"But milord! Please reconsider our offer! By allowing—"

"Absolutely not," Corrin growled, slamming a fist down on the throne's stone arm for emphasis. The impact hurt, but Corrin knew he could not afford to show weakness in court.

Plus, he was too angry to pay attention to the pain.

"Let me repeat myself, Duke Pinciles," Corrin said slowly, making sure the round-faced man standing before him understood each and every one of his words. "This is _New Valla_ , not Nohr! I don't care if King Xander himself was offering this suggestion to me, but I will not— _absolutely not_ —take on any concubines!"

"But sire!" another man shouted, a daimyo if Corrin's memory served him right. "Taking on a concubine will allow us to forge an even stronger relationship with Nohr and Hoshido! Surely—"

"'An even stronger relationship?'" Corrin repeated. "'An even stronger relationship?' Please, Daimyo Jun. I fought next to King Xander and King Ryoma _themselves_ during the Invisible War. They _trusted_ me enough to land the final blow on Anankos! What was that saying you quoted when you urged me to tax Nohrians more harshly than Hoshidans? 'Only those who suffer next to those with equal suffering form true bonds?' If that is the case, then I daresay King Ryoma, King Xander, and I have gone through _more_ enough suffering together. You need not fear an incursion from either of their respective countries."

"But it's practically tradition!" another Nohrian duke shouts out. "King Sumeragi had a concubine, and King Garon was _known_ —"

Corrin had to bite his tongue to avoid bathing that duke in a scathing retort for referring to his mother as a mere concubine but now was not the time. He had a court to control.

"I think we all know how what happened if you take on concubines," Corrin said, waving a hand. "Garon's policy on concubines brought about nothing except the deaths of children. _Children_ , let me remind you. Dozens of children were killed, some mere moments after being birthed! Do you really wish to see New Valla fall under such a wretched and depraved fate?"

The silence was booming.

Finally, one countess managed to call out, "But you are nothing like Garon! Unlike him, we're sure you can control your appetite—"

Corrin facepalmed and gestured irritably towards the woman. "Did I not make myself clear?" he asked scathingly. " _What did I just say?_ I will _not_ have concubines. I don't need nor do I want other women. My heart belongs to Azura alone, and _nothing_ you do will change that."

To make sure that all the nobles knew that his decision was final, Corrin stood, turned around, flourishing his cape in the process, and stomped out of the throne room, followed closely by Kaze and Silas, the latter of whom gave the crowd of shocked nobles a disgusted look.

Corrin did not stop until he reached his study whereupon he tossed his crown casually onto a nearby cushion and sank into his leather armchair. "Politics," he said, using the word like a curse. "How tiresome."

"Tell me about it," Silas agreed, nodding his head and leaning against the wall. "It's like trying to herd cats. You want them to go one way, and they'll bite you in the ass when you turn to catch another. What about you, Kaze?"

The green-haired ninja simply rubbed his chin thoughtfully and looked out the window. "A rather astute analogy, Silas," he said simply. "I will admit, though, I never did quite grasp the concept of concubines. It is in my personal opinion that each and every single man and woman was created for another of the opposite gender, much like a puzzle where the man is the piece and the woman is the hole. You can only insert a specific piece into a specific hole."

Silas snickered. "Nice."

Corrin sighed and drew a long face. "And we have to deal them again _tomorrow_ ," he groaned. "End me, _please_."

"Eh, look on the bright side," Silas said, slapping Corrin good-naturedly on the shoulder. "Think of it this way, surely, Azura's going to be happy about this, right?"

"Happy about what?" a fourth voice asked.

Kaze instantly snapped to attention as Silas lazily looked over his shoulders. Corrin, too tired to care, simply sagged lower in his seat until he was at the proper angle to see who entered the room.

"Ah, Lady Azura," Kaze greeted, bowing low to the ground. "What a pleasure it is for you to join us!"

"Hey," Silas said casually. "You need anything?"

Azura smiled. Despite the fact that Kaze and Silas were practically polar opposites of each other, they still managed to work together marvelously. Kaze was the consummate professional, efficient and hardworking to a fault. Silas, on the other hand, was everything a retainer shouldn't be. He acted casual, talked casual, and had a rather crass sense of humor, though both Corrin and Azura found his jokes to be mildly humorous on at least one occasion.

"Nothing, really," Azura admitted. "I just finished my paperwork for the day and I thought I would check on Corrin."

She looked at how exhausted the three men were. Corrin was practically falling asleep in his chair, Silas could barely keep his eyes open, and even Kaze's shoulder sagged a bit lower than usual.

"What happened?" she asked. "You all look tired."

"We just finished meeting with a rather stubborn lot of nobles," Kaze explained. "They urged for Lord Corrin to take on concubines, but to your husband's eternal credit, refused."

 _That_ caught Azura's attention. "Did he now?" she asked. Looking around, she asked, "Would…you two leave the room? You're relieved for today. I need to talk with my husband."

"Yes, of course," Kaze said before dutifully strolling out of the room. Silas winked cheekily at her before grabbing his sheathed sword from against the wall and following after Kaze.

"Don't mess stuff up too badly," he said. "I know for a fact Felicia hates cleaning up anything… _organic_."

"Very funny, Silas," Azura said as soon as he was out of earshot. "Just what I wanted to hear."

Corrin was so exhausted that Azura had to snap her fingers in front of his nose to wake him whereupon he almost jumped out of the chair and headbutted her in the forehead. Luckily, Azura managed to jerk her head back just in time.

As soon as he realized it was Azura standing over him and not Silas with a quill, Corrin visibly relaxed and reached out for her. Azura, instantly understanding Corrin's wishes, settled herself on his lap and snuggled up to him.

"I heard about today," she said casually. "About how you refused to take on a concubine because of me."

Corrin shrugged tiredly. "Hey, you're all I need. You're perfect. Honestly, sharing a bed with other women at this point is more of an insult to you and your beauty than it is a reflection of my own character."

Azura giggled. Corrin always got this philosophical when he was tired.

She leaned down and pecked him on the cheek. "Well then," she said. "I suppose I should thank you."

"You're…welcome…"

Later, Azura had to recruit Jakob and Felicia in helping her drag Corrin up their room. Gods know how she would've done it otherwise.


	62. (T) The Trident Lily

Normally, during the weekends, Azura always had a set schedule for her days off. Most of the time, she would wake up, cuddle with Corrin as long as she could without feeling guilty for lazing about, eat some breakfast with him, catch up on any late work, and then she would either lock herself away somewhere to sing or find a nice secluded corner in the castle archives, find a good book, and curl up on a nice leather armchair, with Corrin accompanying her if this was the case. Afterward, she would join Corrin in supper, bathe, and depending on her mood, either cuddle affectionately with Corrin under the blankets or "get down to business" with them.

 _Normally_ , this was her schedule, but when Azura sat down in her usual leather armchair one day, Corrin abruptly burst into the library and promptly dragged her out by the arm. _Normally_ , Azura would've been against the idea of people just bursting into her private time and dragging her away, but the boyish smile on Corrin's face gave her pause when she saw a horse waiting for them in the courtyard.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked when Corrin slid into the saddle behind her.

In response, Corrin simply grinned and pecked her on the cheek before snapping the reins. "You'll see," he said mischievously.

No less than fifteen minutes later, Corrin had their horse break out into a light canter. Azura twisted around in her saddle to look at the walls of Castle Gyges disappearing into the distance behind some hills. When Corrin saw the momentary look of concern on Azura's face, he smiled easily and kissed her on the cheek again.

"Hey, relax," he said, letting go of the rein with one hand to stroke her cheek. "I'm not going to kidnap you."

"Well, technically, you are," Azura quipped. "After all, you did just sort of scoop me up while I was trying to read in the library."

Corrin shrugged and rolled his eyes. "Semantics," he said loftily. "Potato, potato. Data, data. Point is, you'll like what I'm about to show you."

"And what, exactly, are you going to show me?" Azura asked, raising an eyebrow.

Corrin smirked. "It's a surprise," he said, and no matter how Azura prodded him, he refused to elaborate any further on the matter.

After tiring of being met with vague responses and shoulder shrugs in response to her questions, Azura sighed and crossed her arms, pushing herself into Corrin to further enjoy his presence. As if in response to that, Corrin shifted in the saddle so that his hands were closer together when holding the reins, allowing him to hold her more tightly with his arms.

They rode for what felt like hours, though Azura knew it had scarcely been more than few minutes considering they could still see some buildings sprawled across the countryside, farmers and fishermen who either could not afford to live in the city or wished to live closer to their occupations. After fifteen more minutes of riding, the horse finally slowed to a halt on top of a grassy hill.

As Azura was wearing a dress, Corrin was able to dismount first. He offered a hand towards Azura and she gratefully took it as he helped her down the horse. As soon as Azura's feet settle on the ground, Corrin stooped down and undid his shoes.

"Finally," he said, sighing in relief as he tied them together by the laces and draped them over the horn of the saddle. "Lilith wouldn't stop giving me crap about me going barefoot in the castle."

"I wonder why," Azura said sarcastically, thinking back to just how easy it was for dust to gather in even the most well-used areas.

Corrin heard the sarcasm in her voice and pouted. "Hey, it's not my fault my feet are sensitive!" he said. He wriggled his toes in the cool grass. "They like to breathe!"

Azura rolled her and crossed her arms, slightly shivering as a rather cold breeze blew past them, rustling the grass and slightly lifting her flounce.

"Can we get on with it?" she asked, not bothering to hide her discomfort. "The sun's going down and I'd _really_ like it if we didn't have to ride back to the castle in the dark."

Corrin couldn't resist himself from pouting even harder. "Aw, what's wrong?" he asked. "Is little 'Zuzu getting cold?"

Azura narrowed her eyes at him in mock anger before abruptly turning on her heels. "Alright, that's it. I'm going back. You can walk home."

A look of alarm appeared on Corrin's face when Azura managed to get a foot into the saddle's stirrup, despite her dress. "W-wait!" he called out, reaching out towards her. "I'm sorry! Wait! Azura!"

Azura paused as Corrin grabbed her hand.

"I'm sorry, Azura!" he said, eyes wide. "I promise I won't call you 'Zuzu again! Just…come with me? Please?"

Azura dramatically sighed and tapped her cheek in mock thought. "I'll…consider it."

* * *

Azura was glad she followed Corrin.

After a short walk up the hill and across a stream, Corrin pulled her aside and showed her…the most _beautiful_ flower she had ever seen.

If Nohr could be represented by the thorned blackrose and Hoshido by the colorful sakura petals, then New Valla would undoubtedly by represented by the flower before Azura. Thirty-nine petals surrounded the flower's core, each petal dabbled in shades of white, azure blue, and what looked like a light seafoam green.

Not caring about her dress, Azura sank to her knees and gently touched the flower, marveling at its beauty. Behind her, Corrin couldn't help but smile at his wife's reaction. He had been hoping for such a reaction, but there is always a difference between imagining something in one's mind and actually seeing it play out before them.

"It's beautiful," Azura whispered. She looked up at Corrin. "Did you…"

Corrin nodded, smiling. "Yeah," he said. "You _know_ I know that you love anything that has anything resembling your hair color."

Azura blushed and looked back at the flower, letting her hair fall to obscure her face. "I-it's not a vanity thing, I swear!" she said. "It's just…"

Corrin sat down beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Azura gladly snuggled in next to him, grateful for his sudden warmth. Though it was still light out, the sun was beginning to touch the sea's horizon, casting a warm orange glow over everything.

"I know," Corrin said simply. "It reminds you of the past, doesn't it? Of your mother and father?"

Azura nodded. "It's still so hard for me to believe that Anankos is dead," she said. "It felt like…it felt like all those things—the war, that whole thing between Nohr and Hoshido—they all felt like they happened so long ago, like—"

"—like they happened to someone else," Corrin finished. He looked out toward the horizon, his hair rustling in the wind. "Yeah, I know what you're talking about. I feel it too, sometimes."

"Really?" Azura asked.

Corrin nodded and squeezed Azura's shoulder. "Sometimes, I think back…back to when I talked with my father, after killing his evil half. He…said something once, about he had the ability to see into the future. He said that…he saw three visions, one where I chose to side with Nohr instead of with you, one with Hoshido instead, and…one where we failed to kill Anankos."

"Did he say what happened?" Azura asked.

"No," Corrin said, shaking his head. "He just said that Anankos would've resurrected our dead bodies and use them as a vanguard or something against the rest of the world, but he never actually went in-depth about it. It seemed like…he knew how they were going to happen, but he wasn't when or _why_ they would happen."

Azura wrapped Corrin's cape around herself for warmth. The sun was now dipping below the horizon and the air around them was growing noticeably colder.

"You know, Mikoto used to be the same. She mentioned it once, in passing, but it was always pretty obvious that she could see at least a little bit into the future. The way she predicted how some things could happen mere moments before they actually did. When asked, she always did this little shrug and had this sort of sad smile. Little things like that. Once, I heard her mention to Yukimura that she foresaw her own death."

Azura felt Corrin go rigid underneath her. "She did?" he asked.

Azura pursed her lips. "Listen, if you don't want to talk about it—"

"I do," Corrin said earnestly. "There's still so much about my mother that I don't know. I knew my father well enough to understand why he did things the way he did, but my mother…I barely know anything about her."

Azura sighed and squeezed Corrin's hand. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm afraid I can't help you here then. Back in Hoshido, I rarely went outside to talk with people. Even your siblings had to find me if they wanted to talk to me, and Mikoto was the same way."

"I know," Corrin sighed. "She said as much. When she was showing me around the palace, I remember her showing me to my room. There was another room next to mine and when I asked her about it, all she said was that 'another guest was staying here with me.' At the time, I never saw them, but now that I look back upon it…that was your room, wasn't it?"

Azura blushed. "If you're talking about the room next to a painting of King Sumeragi, then yes, that was my room."

Corrin blinked in surprise. "Whoa, really?" he asked. "But I never saw you before the lake!"

Azura smiled shyly. "Consider it my curse," she said, sighing. "Despite being the only person in the entirety of Hoshido with blue hair, not to mention having said hair reaching down to my knees, nobody ever seemed to notice me. In fact, they only ever noticed me when I was singing, and even then, they usually told me to shut up or go somewhere else."

Corrin actually growled, a low rising sound that caused the hair on Azura's neck to stand up in a primal way.

"I don't think I can ever forgive people for how they've treated you," he said, scowling. "You've been through so much, yet people never seem to understand your pain."

"It's alright," Azura said, reaching up to touch his face. "I'm used to it by now, plus, there _are_ certain benefits that come with marrying a legendary war hero, after all.

Corrin shifted uncomfortably. "I don't like being called that."

Azura withdrew her hand and looked at him, confused. "Being called what?" she asked. "A war hero?"

Corrin nodded and picked at his nails uneasily. "Maybe it's just me being humble, but I feel like I'm anything _but_ a war hero. A war hero fights for honor and glory, and when he comes back, he brings back riches and all those sorts of stuff you read in stories. Me? I just fought for my friends. When we came back, we didn't bring any glory or riches. We came back without almost ten thousand men dead and dying. That's no treasure."

"Are you still troubled by that?" Azura asked, frowning. "I thought you already accepted that reality."

"I did," Corrin said. "But just because I accept it doesn't mean it's easy to live with. When we finished off Anankos, I…didn't know what to do anymore. I mean, yeah, I knew I had to become king and all that, but I wasn't sure what to do with the part of me that enjoyed fighting and all that."

"Isn't that good, though?" Azura asked. "There should always be a difference between killing because you have to and killing because you enjoy it."

"I _don't_ enjoy it," Corrin said. "And that's not the point here, Azura. Point is…I don't think I can fight anymore."

"What?"

Azura pushed herself away from Corrin and looked at him, perplexed. "What do you mean you can't fight anymore?"

"I-I don't know," he said, shrugging ruefully. "It doesn't feel the same anymore, does that make sense? It's like…it suddenly distastes me." He looked at Azura in the eyes. "Is that bad? Would that make me a bad king if I'm unable to wield a sword again?"

In response, Azura took one of Corrin's hands and brought it to her face. Her eyes slid shut as Corrin cupped her cheek. "No, never," she said earnestly. "You could never make a bad king, and it's never bad to hate fighting."

Azura lowered Corrin's hand and looked out towards the horizon. A sheet of white cast itself over the ocean blue as the sun continued to dip further into the water.

"Thank you for bringing me out here today," she said, continuing to stare out at the ocean. "I really enjoyed it."

Corrin stared at her, unsure of how to reply before finally electing to simply smile, nod, and say, "It was my pleasure."

In an even quieter voice, he added, "Azura?"

"Hmm?"

"…I love you."

Azura turned and stared at him for a moment before suddenly tackling him to the ground, her hair flying all over the place. Corrin's eyes widened a split second before she made contact, and with a muffled _whump,_ the two of them fell onto their backs and rolled down the hill.

Their horse jumped when its two riders crashed into its water trough, causing the water to ripple, but when the animal saw its master lying together on the ground, laughing breathlessly, the horse shook its mane and continued drinking.

Humans really were such complicated creatures.


	63. Interlude: The Agent

A/N: I would like to apologize for the rather lengthy pause between updates. I've been busy with "schoolwork" (retro games), college stuff (sleeping 14+ hours), and every author's favorite friend, writer's block. The horror. I've been running out of steam for this whole work, which is a damn shame considering the fifth arc is going to be one of the most convoluted and narrative-driven works out there, excluding the Harry Potter fandom, and with me having less and less time to work, I'm afraid updates are going to be even more sporadic. But worry not! I will see this through to the end. This is our fight, and I will see it finished.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem fates or any of the characters

* * *

Long ago, when Iago was first realizing his plans for his supplicants and thralls, the very first thing he decided on was staying as far away from Castle Krackenburg as possible. Not only did the concept of _Nohr_ and _nobility_ together give him an ulcer, but he found himself feeling rather edgy about setting foot within Castle Krackenburg again. After living in the great castle for the better part of his life, seeing it again was like finding one's long-lost stuffed animal and finding that the stuffing had been replaced with maggots, worms, and gods knows what else. In either case—not pretty.

The other, more practical reason was that Castle Krackenburg was home to some of the land's most accomplished and skilled spellcasters, but it was also home to Prince Leonardo Aurelius, the most accomplished and skilled spellcaster out of all of them.

Iago had a rather high opinion of himself when it came to spellcasting. Back in his old body, he could have thrashed each and every single spellcaster with impunity…but not Leo. Never with Leo. He could never beat Leo.

Rare was a spellcaster as gifted as Leo, and even rarer was a spellcaster that Iago felt nervous about dueling, but as he learned the first time he died, any confrontation with Leo or his servants would mean certain failure for Iago and his mission.

Which was why Iago found himself sitting in a carriage rolling across the massive stone bridge connecting Castle Krackenburg to the rest of the world.

"Ma'am, the castle is almost upon us!" a soldier called from outside.

"I can see that," Iago said drolly, though he knew it was impossible for the soldier to hear him.

Ever since he discovered how to create supplicants, Iago had always encountered the problem of creating enough protection for them. After all, only a fool would pour almost all his power into a squishy, disposable human body and _not_ leave them unprotected.

Iago already had about half a dozen or so supplicants and even fewer thralls. All the other corpses gained either during his initial attack on Eliwen Manor or "warding off" nosy patrols and hunters had either been completely incinerated (a rather unfortunate consequence of a failed binding) or driven insane, seeking only to eat human flesh.

Even though supplicants were essentially human corpses filled with magic instead of blood and completely loyal to their master and creator, Iago could see the exasperation in their dead eyes whenever he called upon them to put down failed experiments. Yes, he knew it was risky sending his own catalysts to do clean-up duty with a bunch of ravenous corpses, but better he sacrifice a part of his power than all.

And besides, according to the failed experiments, supplicant flesh just didn't have the same texture as living flesh, to which Iago physically shuddered before incinerating him with a bolt of fire.

Sighing and uncrossing his legs from where he had been sitting, meditating, Iago carefully moved across the carriage cabin so he could open a window. He didn't normally meditate, seeing it as a bunch of Hoshidan nonsense, but it certainly distracted him from feeling nervous during the most crucial part of Anankos' task.

"Remember what your orders," Iago called. "Say no more than what's needed, never refer to me as 'Sir' or 'Iago,' and never, I mean _never_ let them see your eyes. You know why. My magic runs through your veins, and even a novice would be able to see that you're under my control. I don't care if wearing a helmet is comfortable or not. The _instant_ I see you lifting that visor, you're going to be nothing more than a pile of bones when we're finished here, _then_ I'll feed you to the prisoners!"

"Yes, milady," the men droned. "By your will."

Satisfied, Iago closed the window and sat back down, arms crossed. He had no doubt his commands would be carried out to the letter. That was the advantage of using thralls and supplicants. They would complete their orders even if they were missing a limb. The only problem was that if any part of Iago's orders contradicted each other, or if he didn't give them instructions to begin with, they would stand around like a bunch of slack-jawed fools until he said otherwise.

The other problem was that supplicants could not use magic on their own. Technically, in a way, they could. Iago could simply "superpower" the magic inside their veins and that would allow them to cast spells. The only drawback was that since supplicants had no mind or will of their own unless Iago created them that way, they would literally have no idea what to cast unless Iago told them specifically what to cast. In this case, that wouldn't even work since the magically-powered blood would only last a few hours, max, before burning out like a dying star, whereupon the magical, totally obedient supplicant would turn into your everyday normal, totally obedient, vulnerable supplicant.

Which was why Iago had to be here personally. Thankfully, he only needed to cast one spell on one specific person and then they'd be home free. Iago would practically have half the Nohrian court in his grasp, identical to their personality before being turned into his thralls, only with an infinite amount of loyalty towards him.

Iago lurched forward as he felt the carriage grind to a halt. Outside, he could hear soldiers shouting and giving orders as shadows played out across the window blinds. He could hear the guards questioning his men, and to their credit, they seemed to be fending off their questions with relative ease. Iago forced himself to remain calm when a figure knocked loudly on the window.

"Anybody in there?" the figure asked. "Show yourself!"

Iago took a moment to compose himself by taking a deep breath before opening the carriage window.

"Hello there," Iago said in a false falsetto, which wasn't all that hard considering the fact that he was in a woman's body. "Is anything wrong?"

The guard ignored his question and peered around inside the carriage. As he did so, Iago took the opportunity to check for any bare patches of skin. Most of his upper body and arms were covered by steel plates, but there was a tiny gap on his neck where the neck of the armor and his helmet didn't cover.

Apparently satisfied, the guard stepped back and crossed his arms. "Routine check, milady. I'm afraid King Xander's put into a place a new policy regarding visitors. He won't be seeing anybody until tomorrow morning."

"Oh really?" Iago asked.

The guard nodded. "If you want to see him, you'll have to come back tomorrow, but you'll want to be quick. Lines form real quick."

"Is there…any other way I could reach him?" Iago asked, subtly pulling on his dress, lowering the neckline to reveal some cleavage. Thankfully, they were on the other side of the carriage, where the gatekeep's post could not see them.

Iago always felt uncomfortable using Tamora's body to worm his way past people. Maybe it was because he never tried to do so in his old body, and lanky and languid as it looked, or maybe it was just a male thing, but Iago found Tamora's body to be a valuable asset when it came to "working things out," albeit an immensely uncomfortable one for Iago.

"Not unless you're planning on teleporting in there," the guard said jokingly. "There's only one way into the castle and one way out. Unless, well, of course, you're counting windows, but in that case, it'll only be an exit, if you know what I'm saying."

"What about…now?" Iago reached up to the collar of his bodice, unbuttoned it, and arced his back so he was thrusting his chest out towards the guard.

The moment the guard spent a moment looking down at Iago's breasts, Iago knew instantly that he had succeeded I "persuading" him. Tamora's body was rather…feminine-looking, something the guard evidently took note of, judging by the stunned silence.

"I, er—um."

Iago cheekily unbuttoned another button. "Are you _sure_ there's no way in?" he asked seductively.

The guard finally tore his gaze away from Iago and thumped himself on the leg. "Dammit!" he swore, stamping his leg. Turning back to Iago, he said, "If you really need to see King Xander, I suppose we could have you meet with Prince Leo instead. I'm sure you nobles know he's a bit colder than the king, but that's the way it's going to be if you want to see him." He paused for a moment to rub the back of his neck, flustered.

Iago chose that moment to act.

"I don't think so," he said, reaching out with a slender hand.

Before the guard could react, Iago shoved his hand towards his neck, aiming for the gap on his neck between his helmet and his armor. The instant, his fingers touched the guard's skin, Iago frantically drew a Mark of Binding.

"I am Lady Tamora From this moment onward, thou soul, body, and mind shall belong to me," Iago recited, going as fast as he could without stumbling over his own words. "You shall act as my thrall, my servant, and you will be loyal to no one other than me. With these binding words, I command you to seek out others above you suitable for becoming my thralls, bind them to my will with the very spell I used to bind you and command them to bind the others above them. You now belong to me."

As soon as the incantation was finished, the guard crumpled to his knees, his armor crashing loudly to the ground. In an instant, the conversations and questioning around the carriage stopped as the other guards came running to his side.

Iago hastily made a show of unbuttoning his bodice as one of the guards knelt down and expertly checked the unconscious guard's pulse.

"Unconscious, sir," he reported to the captain, a gray-haired, severe-looking man with a hooked nose. "Looks like he just fainted."

The captain glared down at the fallen guard before turning his gaze on Iago. "Explain yerself, lassy," he growled. "'s not every day one of ma men drops to his knees like a dead horse. What happened 'ere? 'nd don't even try lyin' Y'see that man kneelin' over there? In the red?" He jabbed a finger at the guard checking the unconscious guard's body. "His name's Magnus. Nohr's best spellbreaker this side o' th' land. He'll find any lies y'tell or lies y'weave."

 _Evidently not_ , Iago thought to himself. _If he really was a spellbreaker, he would've discovered I cast a binding rune on him. And yet, here I am._

"I-it was just an accident, sir, I promise!" Iago said, struggling to pinch close the last button. It was always _that_ button that gave him problems, and in his nervousness, the shaking was genuine.

"I just wanted to seek an audience with King Xander, but then he said he couldn't let me in, so I tried to…convince him!"

"'Convince 'im?'" the captain asked gruffly. "Explain yerself."

In response, Iago unbuttoned the top button of his bodice again and thrust his chest out towards the captain. To his the credit, the captain managed to tear his gaze away from them before clearing his throat and crossing his arms.

At the same time, the unconscious guard suddenly gasped and bolted upright, gasping for breath. The disgruntled look on the captain's face vanished as he knelt down and rested an arm on the guard's arm. When the guard tore his helmet off to reveal sandy-red hair, Iago couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt as he realized the guard was barely of age, almost eighteen.

"How ya feelin, lad?" the captain asked. "Yer feelin' okay?"

The guard simply nodded, still too breathless to answer. Apparently satisfied, the captain rose from his haunches and ran a critical eye of Iago again, who managed to loosen another two buttons in the time that he had.

"Yer a very lucky lady," the captain said gruffly. "Ye wanna know why?"

Iago swallowed nervously. "Why?"

"Yer lucky my boy's okay and that you got a massive rack. Listen here, lassy, if yer here to apply for being one of King Xander's concubines, take ma advice: don't. He's outlawed it as soon as he was crowned, 'nd lemme tell you, that life's hard. So I'mma go easy on you jus this once. You turn this lil' carriage around, never come back, and I'll promise you that I won't mention this whole thin' to Prince Leo or King Xander, you understand?"

Iago nodded. "Yes, sir."

The captain nodded once, a swift, jerk of his head before he made a shooing motion with his hand. "Git on, then."

Iago's carriage driver did as he ordered, and as they rode away from the Castle, down the bridge, past the walls, and on the roads leading back to Eliwen Manir, Iago couldn't help but grin giddily, though his mirth was tempered by apprehensiveness. If any part of the spell had failed, then he could very well be on the run by the end of this week.

This fear never came to pass, however, when two days later, in the dead of light, Iago suddenly jerked and spasmed before settling back into his normal sleep as he felt…something new in his mind. Several new somethings, as it happened.

As Iago mentally reached out towards these new minds attached to his, a wide smile crept its way across his lips.

The agent had succeeded.

Anankos' revenge was at hand.


	64. (T) I'll Have What You're Having

Azura stifled a yawn behind her hand. Normally, Azura would be in her study, doing the paperwork that Corrin so-often complained about, but every so often, there would be that _one_ overly-pompous noble who thought it necessary to have not just the King of Valla listen to his request, but also the shy, reclusive, quiet Queen of Valla as well.

As of the moment, Azura was slouched in her throne next to Corrin's marble-cut own, one hand resting on her cheek while the other played with a strand of hair distractedly. Below her, at the base of the dais where her and Corrin's throne were set up, a gray-bearded noble was spinning a rather lengthy and obviously fake tale as to convince her husband of why it was of utmost importance to divert the city funds towards installing a Hoshidan statue in his backyard instead of directing said funds towards the renovation of some of New Valla's newest inns. With the influx of new immigrants, existing inns and homes were filling up almost at an unprecedented rate, and without the building of new homes for the immigrants, many would soon find themselves out on the streets. Most of the immigrants Nohrians who were either curious as to this new land or just plain sick of living in the barren wastelands that encompassed most of the Dark Kingdom's territory.

Corrin had been loathe to simply "let" these new immigrants to languid for days on end in the city streets of New Gyges. As secure as the newfound peace was, peace did not necessarily bring an end to crime and homicides, and Azura had to sift through packets upon packets of paper relating to six cases of homicides alone. Apparently, decades of war, strife, and racism couldn't be erased overnight.

"…but you have to see, your majesty, renovating the Statue of Sargeras would greatly improve the gardens, possibly bringing in more would-be tourists who would be _dying_ to get a glimpse at—"

"I've said this once and I'll say it again," Corrin said firmly, a stern slash in place of his usual, easy-going smile. "Diverting city funds to renovate something that belongs to _you_ and you alone would, quite frankly, benefit nobody but you. This is New Valla. Here, we dedicate to mending the rift between Hoshido and Nohr, and we can only do that if we act equally towards both nations' people."

"But sir!"

"I'm not finished yet," Corrin said, raising a singer finger for emphasis. "I've explained to you many times, if we divert funds to renovate something of _yours_ , then we have no money to renovate something of _ours_. This week already, we've had nearly five hundred Nohrians arrive here in New Gyges, and today is only the first day of the week, Daimyo Hiyoshi. We _need_ that money to build more homes for these people, money that cannot go to you just so you can bring in some more visitors."

"But they're Nohrians!" Hiyoshi protested. "You say you're worried about leaving the immigrants out on the streets, but if they're Nohrians, shouldn't they be used to it?"

A collective sharp intake of air echoed around the throne room as everyone, Hoshidan and Nohrian alike, grimaced at the blatant statement. Hiyoshi's eyes instantly widened and he hunched his shoulders as if expecting a blow.

Azura's hand unconsciously curled around the arm of her throne as she uncrossed her legs, finally alert. Corrin, on the other hand, did not react. In fact, the only thing that gave away his shock was the blink he always did whenever he was caught off-guard.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you say that," he said coolly. "Especially not in New Valla and _especially_ not in _my_ throne room."

"Your majesty, I—"

"Scribes!" Corrin called. A group of spectacled men adorned in thick and heavy robes slowly shuffled their way out of the guard. As soon as all four of the scribes were in place, Corrin cleared his throat.

"Let it be known that as of now, the city of New Valla will _not_ support or assist in providing the funds for any decorative renovations that do not directly contribute towards resolving the shortage of homes and shelter for the incoming immigrants," Corrin declared, his voice booming. "This decree shall only be lifted once I, King Corrin Rheos, deem it necessary."

For a few minutes, the only sounds in the throne room was the scratching of quills against parchment as the scribes wrote furiously. Save for Corrin, and Azura to an extent, the rest of the nobles fidgeted nervously, unsure of how to react to their king's sudden frostiness.

Hiyoshi simply swallowed and took a step back towards the crowd, hoping to blend in and avoid the shame of his fellow nobles, but before he could take more than a few steps, Corrin cleared his throat again and said, "Next time, Daimyo Hiyoshi, you would do well to remember that New Valla is the city of _balance_. Hoshido may be called the Kingdom of Light and Nohr the Kingdom of Darkness, but New Valla is the Kingdom of _Balance_. We do not look kindly upon those who refuse to give up their old, misguided ways. The court is now adjourned."

* * *

As soon as the guards closed the door behind the last of the nobles, they turned and bowed respectfully towards Corrin and Azura before snapping back to attention. Azura took Corrin's hand and rubbed it worriedly as he pinched the bridge of his nose with one hand.

"Politics," he muttered, shaking his hand. "How tiresome."

"I know," Azura said comfortingly. "I never could understand how you could stand to do something you hate so much."

"I don't _hate_ it," Corrin corrected, looking up at her. "I just have a certain…dislike of it when it gets bad."

"Like today?" Azura asked.

" _Especially_ today," Corrin said, drawing a long face. He slouched back in his throne, not bothering to hide his grimace as the back of his head collided against the back of the stone throne.

"Ah, damn," he cursed, rubbing his head. "Y'know, I sort of get why the stone symbolizes both power and burden, but right now, it's _definitely_ leaning towards the burden side."

"It'll get better soon," Azura cooed. Then, taking a look outside an open window, she noticed how the sun was almost kissing the horizon and that save for the two guards who were tactful enough to ignore the two royals' oddities in private, they were completely alone.

In one, fluid motion, Azura jumped to her feet, throwing in an extra little spin for pizzazz as she pulled Corrin out of his throne. Corrin's eyes widened in surprise as he found himself being spun around by Azura, though a smile quickly graced his lips.

"It's almost evening," Corrin noted as Azura took him by the hand and dragged him off towards their bedroom.

"So it is," Azura said nonchalantly.

"We should probably have dinner soon."

"We should," she agreed pleasantly.

"What do you want?"

"Oh, I don't know. I'll have what you're having."

"That— _Azura_."

Corrin's hand' slipped out of hers as he suddenly stopped. Azura halted and turned around to look at him quizzingly as he crossed his arms and shook his head in amusement.

"We've gone over this before," Corrin said, tapping his foot. "I'm asking what _you_ want to eat, not what _I'm_ going to get."

"But I don't care what I eat," Azura replied.

"I don't either!" Corrin said exasperatedly.

"Well then, it seems like we're locked in an eternal stalemate then," Azura said, crossing her arms to mirror Corrin's own stance.

A mock scowl appeared on Corrin's face as he playfully growled at Azura. To his own surprise, Azura actually growled back, a strange, rising purr that set what hairs he hand on the back of his neck sticking straight up.

As soon as Corrin's expression crumbled, Azura giggled and took his hand in her own again. " _Fine,_ then," she said, sighing dramatically. "We'll ask Jakob to surprise us, then. No disagreements there?"

"I, uh—no."

"Good," Azura said, satisfied at besting her husband once again. "Now, let's find him."


	65. (T) The Mornings

" _Welcome to the Yato. How can we—oh my gods. It's you."_

" _What? It's me? You forget about me or somethin'_

" _No, no! It's…just that you've been gone for a few months. Was beginning to wonder whether or not you were dead."_

" _Ha. If only. I've been in Nohr, workin' as a merc."_

" _A mercenary, huh? Pay well?"_

" _Ha! What do y'think? Weather up there colder than th' bloody Ice Tribes, an' they practically breath in snow."_

" _I assumed that since Tte War ended, there would be peace for once. At the very least, I expected the soldiers would be able to keep the bandits at bay."_

" _It ain't bandits we were huntin' after."_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _Listen, there's been word tha' Anankos didn't die the most peaceful 'o ways, ya hear me? 'pparently, there's been word of buncha patrols an' hunters goin' missing in Th' Spine. King didn't want to send his own men, so we did it for them. Bunch of coward, th' lot of 'em."_

" _Sounds…interesting."_

" _Hmph. A bit o' an overstatement."_

" _Have you found anything?"_

" _Just a coupla Faceless wanderin' around with their thumbs up their ass. No signs o' spellwork or fightin'."_

"…"

"…"

"

"…"

" _So tell me—what's new? What's been goin' on since I left? Business doin' good? King still aroun'?"_

" _Yep. Made a law couple of weeks ago saying city won't pay for decorative renovations. Guess I'll never be getting that sign painted any time soon."_

" _Tha's it? I'm gone for a quarta of a year, and tha's all he's done?"_

" _He's done more, you know. Maybe you should quit stalking Faceless and get your thumb out of your ass."_

" _Listen here, you—"_

" _Hey, I'm glad you're all okay and whatever, but The Yato's still the Yato. We don't take kindly to people dissing our king. If you got such a problem with him, consider talking to that group of gentlemen over there in the corner. They'll straighten you out."_

"… _fine. Gimme a beer."_

" _What size?"_

" _Largest y'have."_

* * *

When Corrin woke up the next morning, he was pleasantly greeted by the sight of Azura propping herself up on her elbow beside him, her eyelids fluttering as she drew meaningless circles on his chest. For a moment, Corrin entertained the notion of suddenly jerking his body just to scare her, but he was loathed to disturb the tranquil expression on her face.

It had been almost three or so years since the end of the war, since they brought Hoshido and Nohr together and created New Valla, yet three years did little to make Corrin forget the hardships Azura went through. Between being forced to flee for her life from her ancestral home, losing both of her parents before adulthood, being unfairly subjugated to some of the harshest and racist behavior in Hoshido, _and_ fighting in one history's bloodiest and most drawn-out wars, it was a nothing except a blessing from the gods that allowed him to wake up to sight of his wife smiling first thing in the morning. Hell, it was a miracle that she even smiled as much as she did, but whenever Corrin glimpsed that shy upward turn of her lips, only for her to suddenly look away when he turned towards her, he couldn't help but feel all his worries fall away from his shoulders like an old coat.

Gone was the teeth-grinding frustration caused by dealing with nobles who were still too distrustful of each other to do more than exchange curt greetings. Banished was the feeling of hopelessness and utter despair whenever he walked into his study after a long day of holding court and seeing a massive stack of paperwork on his desk. Dispelled was the stress and worry of having to run the kingdom while trying to appease the very people who could theoretically do such a thing. All of these and more were abolished by the simple sight of Azura next to him in the morning, smiling.

Corrin tried to remain as still as possible, but Azura must have known he was awake. He shivered before involuntarily jerking himself away when he felt her slender fingers brush against the inner part of his upper arm, right where he was most ticklish.

Corrin's eyes snapped wide open as he tried to fend her off without letting himself or Azura fall onto the floor. As soon as Azura ceased her assault on him, Corrin took a moment to catch his breath, giving her a puppy-like look of amusement.

In response, Azura simply leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on his nose, causing him to blink. "Good morning, sleepyhead," she said, smiling. "Awake yet?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm up," Corrin said, yawning as he stretched his arms. "What time is it?"

Azura glanced at the clock in the corner of their room. The hands read that it was somewhere in the late morning, almost noon. "Not…too late," she said vaguely, brushing a strand of Corrin's white hair out of his eyes.

"Lucky me," Corrin said as he wrapped an arm around Azura's waist. "Didn't really want to do anything today. Just felt like lazing around with you, if you're alright with that."

Azura couldn't stop herself from giggling as she felt the way Corrin's chest rumbled under her fingers. It always vibrated when he spoke due to his draconic heritage, but it was especially apparent in the morning before his vocal cords warmed up.

"I'm fine with that," Azura said softly, rubbing Corrin's chest with a thumb. "Honestly, I didn't really want to do anything either."

"Mmhmm."

Corrin finally let his eyes close together before letting his head fall back onto his pillow with a breathy _huff_. Azura took a moment to touch his face affectionately. In response, a small smile appeared on his lips. When Corrin shifted so that his arms were open to her, Azura took advantage of his offer and moved so that her back was pressed up against his chest, one hand touching his face while the other rested over his hands, which in turn rested over her stomach.

Azura temporarily froze when she felt Corrin gently butt his head into her shoulder.

"So…soft," he mumbled. "Smells…nice."

"Does it?" Azura asked, taking a strand of hair and holding it up to her nose. "I don't smell anything."

"Smells…nice," Corrin repeated. "Like…strawberries…and…and…flowers."

"What kind of flowers?" Azura asked innocently.

"Mmhmm," Corrin rumbled. "Lavender…"

"Lavender?" Azura asked. "My hair smells like lavender?"

Corrin nodded before nosing her again. "Smells really…really soft."

Azura couldn't keep herself from smiling. She adjusted her position so that she was facing Corrin instead of away from him. At the sight of Corrin sleepily holding a strand of her hair up to his nose, a rather mischievous smile crept its way onto Azura's lips.

Moving slowly to avoid warning Corrin, Azura stealthily gathered up a bunch of her hair. As soon as she was satisfied with the amount of hair she accumulated, she stuck the ends towards Corrin's nose and began to wiggle it back and forth. At first, Corrin's only reaction was a frown overtaking his sleep smile, but before long, he began shaking his head back and forth before letting everything out in a sneeze.

"Bless you," Azura said playfully as Corrin cracked an eyelid open.

"Thanks," he deadpanned, reaching for the tissue box on the nightstand. "Just what I wanted to experience."

"You were the one who wanted to smell it," Azura teased.

"Oh, did I?" Corrin asked. A mischievous glint in his eye was all the warning Azura had before he suddenly tightened his arms around her, loose enough for her to breathe and move, but not so loose that she could move away from him.

Laughing, Azura struggled to free herself as Corrin moved so that he was on top, his hands grabbing her forearms and forcing them down, albeit in a playful way. Her laughs subsided as she soon as she realized her position. As soon as she realized what Corrin was planning on doing to her, she began to shake again and tried to free herself, laughing all the while.

"Don't do it, Corrin," she said in what she hoped was a threatening voice. "Don't you do it."

"Do what?" Corrin asked innocently. "You were the one who asked for it."

As soon as he was sure Azura wouldn't make a break for it, he released her and began working his hands up her nightgown, fingers scrabbling for that spot under her right armpit that never failed to make her laugh.

"No! No! Corrin!" Azura shrieked, laughing. She kicked her legs feebly as she struggled to free her arms. "Stop! Corrin!"

A devilish smile appeared on his lips as his fingers brushed against that spot, causing her to jerk reflexively. "You were the one who asked for it," he repeated, parroting her words.

"Corrin!"

After a few minutes, when both he and Azura were breathing hard and exhausted from their war of attrition, Corrin collapsed on the bed next to her, arm throwing itself around her shoulder. Azura automatically scooched in closer to her, and for a few precious moments, nothing else in the world mattered to her except the warm mass next to her and the feeling of her heart pounding in her throat.

"That was…fun," she said as soon as she caught her breath.

"Tell me about it," Corrin said. "Shame we can't do this more often."

"It's only because you always sleep in," Azura replied, poking him gently in the ribs. "You're always trying to sleep to noon."

"What can I do about it?" Corrin said. Lowering his voice out of habit, he added, "It's not like I'm practically part reptile, now am I?"

"You're part dragon," Azura said flatly. "I'd say you're more than 'part' reptile. Trying 'godly.'"

"And is a dragon nothing but a really big reptile?" Corrin countered. "I mean, I read somewhere that reptiles get really sleep when it's cold. They fall into something called a 'torpor' or something, and what do you know? When it's cold, all of a sudden, I feel like sleeping. Coincidence? I think no.!"

"I disagree," Azura said. "I think you only feel tired during the winter because you, my sleepyhead, are hardwired to associate darkness with sleep, and as soon as you see something resembling black, you'll find any reason to justify falling asleep."

"I do not!" Corrin protested. "My armor used to be half-black, remember? I never fell asleep because of that!"

"I hope you didn't," Azura said drolly, "what with you being on the frontlines and what not. As brave as you are, that does not make you invincib— _eek!"_

Azura instinctively jerked herself away as she felt something slither in between her legs. When she tore the bed covers away, however, she saw that it was, in fact, Corrin's tail.

Upon seeing her expression, Corrin's expression crumpled and he began to laugh. In response, Azura rolled her eyes and slapped him light-heartedly.

"Men," she said exasperatedly. "Why is _that_ always on your mind?"

"It's not," Corrin protested, rolling over as Azura continued to playfully slap and poke him. "I swear, that wasn't what I was trying to say!"

"Oh really?" Azura asked. "Then why'd you have to put it _there_ of all places?"

Before Corrin could respond, a knock on their door caused them both to freeze and turn.

"Uh, m-milady?" Felicia's voice asked timidly. "A-are you two…done in there?"

"Yes!" Corrin called out.

"Not yet!" Azura said at the same time. The two looked at each other, Azura with exasperation and Corrin with playfulness.

"Fine, whatever she said!" Corrin said. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong!" Felicia called out. "It's just…it's just that it's almost four in the afternoon, Lord Corrin, and—"

"It's _what_?" Corrin said, jumping out of the bed. Turning towards Azura, he said, "I thought you said it wasn't that late!"

"I also said it wasn't too early either!" Azura retorted. "It's not like we had anything to do today, right?"

"Well, I mean…no, not really," Corrin admitted, "But I was really hoping to have lunch with you today."

"We still can," Azura replied.

"It's _four_! In the afternoon!"

"So? You can never go wrong with a late lunch."

"Azur—what? No! That's incredibly wrong! I'm pretty sure there's a law forbidding any kind of meal after four to be called lunch."

Azura shrugged. "Well, you _are_ the king of New Valla, which means you _do_ technically make the rules."

Corrin paused and tapped his chin thoughtfully. "You know," he said thoughtfully, "you're not wrong. I _could_ make a law forbidding—Felicia?"

"Yes, milord?"

"Can…can you tell Otis to set an appointment with me sometime tomorrow? I got an idea for a new law we need to put in place."

Something that sounded suspiciously like a giggle came from the other side of the door as Felicia said, "Yes, of course, milord. I'll relay your message to him."

"Thanks, Felicia!" Corrin called out as the _clack_ of her heels faded away. Turning back towards Azura, he was promptly greeted by the sight of her on her stomach, legs kicking lazily in the air and hand propping up her face as she stared flatly towards him.

"What?" Corrin said defensively. "You said I could."

"I know," Azura said. "But…I wasn't expecting you to actually go through with it."

Corrin chuckled before striking a "heroic" pose with his hands on his hips. "Well, what did you expect?" he asked. "I'm me, after all."

Azura rolled her eyes before throwing a pillow at him. "I know you are. Now come on. We should probably change and get dressed."


	66. (T) I missed you

Normally, Corrin was the one who would be greeted by the sight of Azura in their bed, dressed in her nightgown and swaddled in blankets with her hands free and interlaced together as she stared out the window, waiting for him. Normally, Azura would turn her head towards him as he entered the room before smiling at him as she struggled to free herself from her self-imposed prison of blankets.

Sometimes, Corrin would cross the room quickly to plant a kiss on her forehead before smiling back at her. Whenever that happened, Azura would inevitably fall still as she watched him gather his nightclothes and disappear into their washroom. When he emerged a few minutes later, hair damp and face slightly flushed, she would welcome him with open arms onto the bed.

When he was feeling especially tired, he would simply snuggle up to her and bury his face in her hair. Whenever that happened, Azura couldn't help but smile and hum as one hand ran its way through his hair while the other extinguished the candle. Though she would never admit it, Azura would always try to stay up later than Corrin to watch him sleep.

There was always this… _something_ about watching him sleep that allowed Azura's heart to slow and her eyes to fall. It wasn't just the fact that she could see him without the worry lines in his face for once, nor was it the feeling of his warm body next to hers. Rather, it was just _something_ about having the love of her life next to her in bed.

Not many women can say with confidence that they found "the one," but Azura knew in the deepest part of her heart of hearts that Corrin was her other half. Even as the trees belonged to the earth, her heart belonged to Corrin.

She desperately wished to tell him how much he meant to her. Sometimes, she would brush a lock of hair out of her eyes as she whispered a few, scant words of love to her husband. Words of how much she loved, of how he was her strength, and of how lost she would be without him.

Of course, he never heard them, but so long as she found herself telling him those words every night, she found herself able to sleep easily.

Which was why, tonight, Azura found herself looking around with wide eyes, blanket pulled up to her nose.

Corrin was to be gone for another day. Ryoma had requested Corrin's assistance with talking to a group of farmers who didn't exactly agree with living under the New Vallite rule. At first, they were nothing more than a band of people waving pitchforks and hoes around, but as their numbers grew, so did the threat of violence. Corrin and Ryoma were to travel to the village to negotiate with the farmers, and the night before he left, Corrin had whispered in her ear that he expected to be for a total of four days.

"Be careful," Azura had whispered back into his ear. "Gods know what I would do without you."

To that, Corrin simply chuckled and pulled away. Brushing her hair out of her eys, she gently touched her face and said, "Azura, I hope you know that…that you mean _everything_ to me. If…if I could, I would…well, I don't exactly know _what_ I would do, but if it was for you, I would see it through to the end, no matter the cost."

"O-oh," she said. How else was she supposed to respond to such a statement? "I…I see. I-I love you too, Corrin."

"I love you more."

In the corner of the room, the grandfather clock suddenly struck midnight. Startled, Azura bolted upright and looked around the room, face flushed and chest heaving.

What if something had gone wrong with the negotiations? What if, instead of Corrin riding through the castle gates, it was a coffin instead? Or what if Corrin didn't come back at all? Sure, Corrin may one of the best warriors in the lend, but it had been _months_ since he picked up Yato and fought an actual opponent! What if he came back missing an arm? Or a leg? Or—

Azura flinched as the door suddenly burst open. Before she could do so much as yelp or dive underneath the blankets, Azura found herself being pinned to the bed by an oddly familiar presence.

"C-Corrin?"

"Hi."

Azura's eyes widened as she realized who the intruder was. Pulling herself away to light a candle, she was promptly greeted by the sight of Corrin in his armor, which to her relief, was free of blood and other signs of battle. As soon as she was done taking in his appearance, she darted forward to take his face in her hands.

"I thought you said you would be gone for four days!" she exclaimed, not bothering to hide the joy in her voice.

Corrin simply shrugged. "What can I say? I missed you!"

Azura was at a loss for words. "But…but what about the farmers? Are they—"

"They've been taken care of," Corrin said, a little bit too nonchalantly. "As soon as they realized that both Ryoma and I are the ones meeting with them, I guess they realized their little uprising wasn't going to go anywhere, so they just sort of…stopped."

"Are you hurt?" Azura asked concernedly, poring over his form.

"Of course not!" Corrin chuckled. "They didn't even have weapons! Well, I mean, I guess they had pitchforks, Normally, Corrin was the one who would be greeted by the sight of Azura in their bed, dressed in her nightgown and swaddled in blankets with her hands free and interlaced together as she stared out the window, patiently waiting for him. Normally, Azura would turn her head towards him as he entered the room before smiling at him as she struggled to free herself from her self-imposed prison of blankets.

Sometimes, Corrin would quickly cross the room to plant a kiss on her forehead before she could free herself. Whenever that happened, Azura would inevitably fall still as she blushed. Oftentimes, he would flash her a quick, boyish smile over his shoulder before disappearing into the washroom, clothes casually tossed over his shoulder. When he emerged a few minutes later, hair damp and face slightly flushed, she would welcome him with open arms onto the bed.

Most of the time, whatever followed after depended on how they were feeling. If both of them were in high spirits, Azura would cuddle next to Corrin as he held her in his arms. Whenever that happened, the two of them would inevitably find themselves talking late into the light. If both of them were in the mood, then...well, being married _did_ have its benefits.

When he was feeling especially tired after a long day of dealing with nobles, however, he would simply snuggle up to her and bury his face in her hair. Whenever that happened, Azura couldn't help but smile and hum as one hand ran its way through his hair while the other extinguished the candle. Though she would never admit it, Azura would always try to stay up later than Corrin to watch him sleep.

There was always this… _something_ about watching him sleep that allowed Azura's heart to slow and her eyes to fall. It wasn't just the fact that she could see him without the worry lines in his face for once, nor was it the feeling of his warm body next to hers. Rather, it was just _something_ about having the love of her life next to her in bed.

Not many women can say with confidence that they found "the one," but Azura knew in the deepest part of her heart of hearts that Corrin was her other half. Even as the trees belonged to the earth, her heart belonged to Corrin.

She desperately wished to tell him how much he meant to her. Sometimes, she would brush a lock of hair out of her eyes as she whispered a few, scant words of love to her husband. Words of how much she loved, of how he was her foundation, and of how lost she would be without him.

Of course, he never heard them, but so long as she found herself telling him those words every night, she found herself able to sleep easily.

Which was why, tonight, Azura found herself looking around the darkened room with wide eyes, blanket pulled up to her nose.

Corrin was to be gone for another day. After several incidents along the Hoshidan-Vallite border, Ryoma had requested Corrin's assistance with negotiating with a group of farmers who didn't exactly agree with living under the New Vallite rule. At first, they were nothing more than a band of people waving pitchforks and hoes around, but as their numbers grew, so did the threat of a rebellion. Although he was initially reluctant at the thought of potentially fighting again, Corrin eventually agreed to meet with Ryoma in Hoshido. The night before he left, Corrin slid into bed next to Azura and whispered to her that he planned to be gone for three days.

"Be careful," Azura had whispered back into his ear. "Gods know what I would do without you."

To that, Corrin simply chuckled and pulled away. Brushing his hair out of his eyes, he gently touched her face and said, "Don't worry, Azura. I'll be back. I...I just want you to know that…that you mean _everything_ to me. If…if I could, I would…well, I don't exactly know _what_ I would do, but if it was for you, I would see it through to the end, no matter the cost."

"O-oh," she said. How else was she supposed to respond to such a statement? "I…I see. I-I love you too, Corrin."

"I love you more."

In the corner of the room, the grandfather clock suddenly struck midnight. Startled, Azura bolted upright and looked around the room, face flushed and chest heaving.

What if something had gone wrong with the negotiations? What if, instead of Corrin riding through the castle gates, it was a coffin instead? Or what if Corrin didn't come back at all? Sure, Corrin may one of the best warriors in the lend, but it had been _months_ since he picked up Yato and fought an actual opponent! What if he came back missing an arm? Or a leg? Or—

Azura flinched as the door suddenly burst open. Before she could do so much as yelp or dive underneath the blankets, Azura found herself being pinned to the bed by an oddly familiar presence.

"Corrin?"

"...hey."

Azura's eyes widened as she realized who the intruder was. Pulling herself away to light a candle, she was promptly greeted by the sight of Corrin in his armor, which to her relief, was free of blood and other signs of battle. As soon as she was done taking in his appearance, she darted forward to take his face in her hands.

"I thought you said you would be gone for another two days!" she exclaimed, not bothering to the tremor in her voice.

Infuriatingly, Corrin simply shrugged. "Uh, well, I guess I'm here now," he said endearingly. "I guess

Azura was at a loss for words. "But…but what about the farmers? Are they—"

"Don't worry about it," Corrin said, leading forward to peck her on the head. "They've been taken of. I'm here now."

"Are you hurt at all?" Azura asked concernedly, running an eye over his moonlit form. "Did they fight?"

"No, and no," Corrin said, taking her hands off his armor and wrapping them in his own fingers. "They surrendered pretty quickly once we told them we knew who the main instigators were. Guess they respected Ryoma more than they feared their leaders."

"That's good," Azura said. Noticing the uncharacteristic stiffness in his shoulders, she asked, "Are...you tired? Would you like me to help me out of your armor?"

Corrin's smile slightly shrunk. "That...would be appreciated," he said, rolling a shoulder. "It's been a while since I put this thing on."

"Hopefully, you'll have to wait even longer next time," Azura said as she began undoing his straps.

"Hopefully."

* * *

A/N: Apologies for the lack of updates. Between writer's block, college stuff, and overall poor time management, I haven't been able to properly update this story every week. Rest assured, I **will see** this through to the end...but with Three Houses being more popular than Fates ever will be, I doubt most of you remember this work. For the people that do, though...you're the GOAT.


	67. Mini-Arc: The Parturiency

A/N: After some self-reflection, I decided this would be a form of mini-arc. Don't worry, though, you'll still have all the good fluff.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of its characters

* * *

Azura often kept a list of things she hated in her mind. Spiders? Check. Giant, mad dragons hellbent on bringing about the extinction of the human race? Double check. Holding court in front of a crowd of people? The paper's practically smeared in ink at that point.

It didn't help that she's been feeling _incredibly_ exhausted lately, what with her back hurting out of the blue one day and what she assumed was her monthly cramps starting to pound the lower half of her body into a pulpy, bloody mess. Add in headaches and dizziness from reading through dozens upon dozens of pages of reports, and the very last thing she wanted to do was to hold court. Of course, this meant the one day her back pains went from mind-destroying to soul-splitting, her cramps went from aggravated assault to first-degree murder, and her headache went from dizzying to head-splitting, she had to hold court.

Wonderful. Just. Wonderful.

"Why did you drag me out here again?" she asked Corrin, not bothering to hide her annoyance at the fact that she was being forced to hold court with him in front of a dozen or so nobles. "I thought you said that _you_ would handle all the political stuff."

Without looking towards her, Corrin whispered out the side of his mouth, "Are you saying that you would prefer doing paperwork over holding court?"

"Yes!" Azura whispered back, glancing nervously towards the crowd of nobles assembled before her. "You know I'm terrible with crowds! Why did you bring me out here to begin with?"

"Because it was the only way to get Count Hansen to meet with me in New Gyges," Corrin explained patiently. "He got most of his power from Garon, which means he can be a bit…full of himself."

"Then why didn't you force him to meet you here on _your_ terms without me!" Azura asked.

Corrin glanced over at her, raising an eyebrow incredulously. "Are you mad?" he asked. "Count Hansen owns four of some of the richest mines in New Valla! We need his permission to use those mines if we're going to have enough money to buy food and supplies for this winter!"

"Then why didn't you force him to give you control of the mines?" Azura asked, exasperated. "Aren't you king? Are your powers not absolute?"

"I'm not Garon," Corrin said, ears slightly twitching. "Even as I keep the nobles in check, the nobles keep me in check. Pressuring Hansen to make a decision will only strain our relationships between Nohr and New Valla. Even though a majority of Count Hansen's land lie on our side of the border, his mines coincidentally fall on the other side."

"Of course they do," Azura said sarcastically. "Because you can't go a minute in court without someone or something inconveniencing you."

Corrin frowned and glanced at her again. Sarcastic and blunt remarks were nothing new with Azura—hell, they were part of the reason why he loved her so much—but her bad mood was certainly unusual.

"Can we not do this right now?" Corrin hissed. "I'm sorry if I upset you earlier, but—"

"I'm not mad at you," Azura huffed, crossing her arms. "I just want to get this over with."

"Azura—"

"Ahem, King Corrin?"

Corrin turned to look down at Count Hansen standing before him. The man was thin of build but lean of muscle. There was a wiry scar running down the side of his face, most likely the result of some childhood accident, and he had an auburn-colored goatee curling around his chin.

"Did you hear what I was saying, milord?" Count Hansen asked in his high, reedy voice. "I'm sorry to interrupt you and your queen's conversation, but—"

"Wife," Corrin corrected automatically. "And no, I did not hear what you were saying. My apologies. Can you please repeat?"

Count Hansen looked like an outraged bird, especially with the way he puffed up his chest and shoulders. "My lord, I will have you know, I live very far away! I do not appreciate you engaging in small talk with your queen while I'm trying to—"

"I am well aware of the effort it took for you to come here," Corrin interrupted calmly. "And I am very grateful to you for making the journey. However, would it not be a more efficient use of your time if we were to discuss the subject you came here for?"

Puffing his chest out slightly less, Count Hansen coughed into his hand and brushed some imaginary lint of his shoulders. "Ah, yes, I suppose that would be more…appropriate. As I was saying, your highness, there are numerous details that we must…discuss."

"Then let us do so," Corrin said, uncrossing his legs and leaning forward with enthusiasm, hands clasped together under his chin. "I'm looking forward to this."

Azura groaned.

* * *

Two hours later, they broke for lunch. As soon as the doors boomed shut behind the nobles, Azura rose out of her throne and furiously jammed her hand into Corrin's chest, causing him to fall back into the stone momentarily glanced towards her with a raised eyebrow.

It hurt.

"Ow!" Corrin said, wincing as the back of his head cracked against the stone. "What was that for?"

"Don't try to pretend!" Azura snapped. "You dragged that out on purpose, didn't you?"

"What are you talking about?" Corrin asked, getting to his feet. "Are you talking about me and Count Hansen?"

"Of course I am!" Azura said. "Did you _have_ to drag it out for so long? 'I'm looking forward to this.' Why else would you say that?"

"That's just a figure of speech to get the nobles to relax!" Corrin looked at her in confusion. "Azura, are you alright? You're never this—"

"I'm fine," Azura snapped, crossing her arms and turning away.

"Azura—"

"I said I'm fine!"

Corrin sighed. There was no getting through to her when she was this angry, even if her anger was somewhat unusual. He would just have to wait this out. It never failed before

"Fine," he sighed. "Fine. I'm…I'm going to eat lunch right now. Do you want to eat with me?"

"Yes," Azura said bluntly.

Without waiting for him, Azura briskly turned and walked towards the dining hall where they always shared their meals. Corrin blinked, flabbergasted. Something was definitely off with Azura today, but only time would reveal its cause.

Azura wrinkled her nose. "Is it just me, or does this sandwich smell really bad?"

Corrin paused mid-bite and looked at her curiously. Today was just full of unusual behavior, wasn't it? Fifteen minutes ago, Azura was snapping at him, but barely two minutes later, they were engaging in small talk like nothing had happened. Now Azura, the last person he would expect to be a picky eater, was being just that—a picky eater.

Deciding to humor her, Corrin set his food down and casually reached over to pluck a tomato out from between the bread. After exaggeratingly putting up to his nose and smelling it, Corrin shrugged and put it back on her plate.

"Smells normal to me," he said.

"Don't put it back in the sandwich!" Azura protested flinging the offending piece of fruit back onto his plate. "That's gross!"

"Grossness is a subjective concept," Corrin said nonchalantly. "What's gross for me might not be for you, and vice versa. Say, for instance, I had a sandwich—"

Corrin cut himself off as Azura threw him a dirty glare.

"Of course, it doesn't have to be a sandwich. I'm just using it as an example—"

Another glare.

Sighing in defeat, Corrin set his fork down and swapped their plates. "Better?"

Azura cautiously picked up a piece of lettuce with her fork and sniffed at it curiously before wrinkling her nose again and pushing away Corrin's plate.

"It smells even worse," she remarked flatly.

"Alright, then it's definitely you," he said, frowning. "I'm literally half-dragon, which means I should have a pretty good sense of smell, but I don't smell anything wrong with either of our plates."

"Well, _something's_ wrong," Azura said, crossing her arms. "If it's not me or the food, then there has to be something else."

"I'll see if I can find Flora or Jakob," Corrin offered helpfully. "Maybe they can bring you something that doesn't smell. Like strawberries!"

"That may help," Azura mused. "Also, how is it that strawberries have no natural scent of their own, but we still know something smells like a strawberry?"

"Don't ask me," Corrin asked as Jakob briskly trotted over. "I'm a philosopher and part-time king, not a biologist."

"You are _not_ a philosopher."

"Those who deem others unworthy of a role are also often unworthy themselves."

"That's not even philosophical! That's just some theme or moral you pulled out of some random story!"

As Azura watched Corrin talk animatedly with Jakob, she suddenly couldn't help but feel incredibly dizzy. Everything save for the table and the fork in front of her turned blurry, and before she knew it, Corrin was peering down at her, concern, fear, and above all else, confusion plastered over his pale face.

"Uh…Corrin? Why are you upside down?"

"You blacked out," he said simply, though judging by how his shoulders sagged, Azura could tell he was both incredibly relieved and angry at the same time. Whether he was angry at himself or at her, Azura couldn't tell.

"I asked you if you were okay, Azura!" he said angrily.

 _Okay, so it's definitely me then._

"You could've told me that you weren't feeling well, and then I wouldn't have forced you to hold court with me, and—"

"I'm fine, Corrin," Azura said, sitting up. "Don't worry, it's been like this for a couple days now, and—"

Azura groaned as another wave of dizziness assailed her. At the same time, Azura almost thought Corrin was going to pop a blood vessel in his eye judging by how red his face suddenly turned.

"A couple _days_?" he asked. "You've been fainting like this for a couple _days?_ "

"No, today was my first time," Azura said as she sat up again. "But I have been feeling pretty dizzy."

"Why didn't you tell me? I would've called you a healer, or—"

"They're not going to see me just because of a little headache, Corrin."

"Of course they would!" Corrin said, exasperated. "You're the Queen! You're literally the most important person in this kingdom! Of course they would want to serve you to make sure you're okay!"

"Fine then," Azura said, her temper starting to rise up again. "How about _you_ call me a healer since you so _generously_ offered, and _you_ go back to dealing with those damned nobles!"

Both Corrin and Jakob, who was standing silently behind him, looked taken aback by her sudden outburst. Almost immediately, Azura felt a pang of guilt at their shocked expressions.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, shaking her head to fend off another wave of dizziness. "It's…been stressful these last few days, what with all the paperwork I had to do and my period starting up again. It's…it's a bit much, to say the least."

"And you said you preferred doing paperwork over holding court," Corrin said sarcastically.

"Well, someone has to do it," Azura said playfully. "If not me, who else?"

Again, both Corrin and Jakob looked taken aback by her sudden change in demeanor. The two men both turned to look at each other before turning back towards Azura.

"…right," Corrin said slowly. "Alright then. Uh, how about I cut our meeting with Count Hansen a little bit short so we can both see the healer together?"

"No, no," Azura said hurriedly. "I know how important this meeting is to the kingdom. I'll call the healer myself. You just finish up the meeting with Count Hansen and the rest of the nobles."

"I guess I'll just start tidying up the mess you two made, then," Jakob said smartly.

Azura and Corrin looked up. Azura's chair was tipped over and pieces of lettuce and bread were splattered all over the floor.

"Uh, yeah. You do that," Corrin said awkwardly. "Thanks, Jakob."

"No thanks are needed, milord. How else am I supposed to earn my keep?"

"You don't—" Corrin shook his head exasperatedly. "Nevermind."

Turning back towards Azura, he squeezed her hand worriedly. "Promise me you'll find someone to look at you."

Azura sighs affectionately. How could she ever say no such a dear, sweet, _exasperatingly protective_ man that was her husband?

"I promise."

* * *

"Vell, pazed on zee rezults, nozing seems to be vrong vith vu. Could pe schtress"

Azura shook her head. "I-I'm sorry, can you repeat that again?"

The healer—"I am ein doctor!"—a stern looking man with small, thin glasses, and black, short-cropped hair, looked sharply towards her over the rim of his glasses. "I zaid, zere vas nozing vrong vith vu!"

"I-I'm sorry, it's just really hard to understand you because of your accent and—"

"Oh, zo now vu vring up mein accent, huh? I could haffe—"

"Alright, Dr. Ludwig, let me take over from here," interrupted a young woman. As she hastily shoved the angry doctor away, the woman smiled apologetically towards Azura.

"Sorry about that," she said. "Dr. Ludwig once served on the front lines during The War, and he's…well, he's been a bit more temperamental ever since."

"His accent sounds familiar," Azura noted, rubbing her wrist. "Stutmany?"

"No, Teuton," the assistant corrected. "He…well, while he may not have as much compassion for the sick as other healers, or even the same level of respect for basic human dignity, Dr. Ludwig is one of the best around with it comes to diagnosing his patients. As for actually healing them…he was never particularly gifted at healing magic, which was why he hired me. Now, back on topic!"

The woman tapped her cheek while peering curiously at Azura. "Hmm, well, let's see. Constant dizziness. Cramps. Backpains. Headaches. Mood swings. There's only one thing that can cause all of these at the same time."

"What is it?" Azura asked.

"One question first," the woman said reassuringly. "Have you been bleeding yet?"

"No."

"But you've been feeling these cramps for…what, a week now?"

Azura nodded. "I've…I've been taking precautionary measures just in case, but there hasn't been any blood yet, which probably means I'm just having a lighter load this time around."

"Perhaps," mused the woman. "Or it could mean something else entirely. Female-exclusive, of course."

"What is it?"

To Azura's surprise, the woman simply smiled. "Is it not obvious? You're pregnant, milady."

Azura could've sworn the room was spinning around her as she gaped at the woman. Slowly, without realizing it, Azura rested her hand on top of her abdomen.

"…Pregnant?" she repeated slowly, as if each syllable was foreign to her. "M-me? I'm pregnant?"

The woman nodded. "Yep. You're pregnant, milady."

"B-but that's impossible!" Azura said. "Aren't you supposed to throw up when you're pregnant?"

"Most do," the woman admitted. "You're probably one of the luckier ones, though I'm afraid those headaches are going to stick with you all the way through."

"Miss Bauling?" The doctor peeked his head out from behind a door and seemed caught off-guard when Azura was still sitting on the bench.

"Ah, vu're schtill here, milady? Did I mistiagnoze vu zomehow?"

"Sort of, Dr. Ludwig," Miss Pauling said, rapping her clipboard with her knuckle. "You said everything could be because of stress brought on by her cycle and workload, but I think the answer is something else entirely: pregnancy."

"Ah, bregnancy? Congratulazions!" the doctor said earnestly. "Congratulazions indeed!"

"I don't…I don't…"

"She's still in shock," the assistant whispered to the doctor. "Hasn't fully wrapped her head around it yet."

"Vell, zere's always one," the doctor whispered back.

Kneeling down next to Azura, the doctor gently rested a hand on Azura's shoulder. "Alright, first zings off, zere's zome zings vu need to keep track of…"

Azura sits there, shocked into silence as the doctor lists off how far along she mostly likely is—"zix veeks!"—what activities to avoid at all cost—"no heaffy lifting, horzepack riding, or bhyzically hurding yourself"—and what foods to avoid eating.

"No raw meats!" the doctor proclaimed. "I know how much vu Hoschitans loffe your raw fisch und...zuschi—is zat how vu zay it?—put for zee pabe's zake, I vould hadffize hakainst zuch ein diet."

"He's saying no raw meats, which means no sushi," the woman explained. "Don't worry though—you can still have sex, if that's important to you!"

Before Azura knew it, the doctor was pushing an elixir into her hand to help with the headaches and dizziness, another drought to help deal with morning sickness, just in case, and a slip of paper containing their office address and names.

"I'm afraid you're on your own with the mood swings, though," the woman said apologetically as they helped Azura to her feet. "We simply just don't know enough about how a woman's body changes chemically for us to make a drought for that, and even then, every pregnancy is different. What works for you may not work for someone else, and most people aren't exactly willing to ingest something that even the healers don't know would do."

"O-oh, um, okay," Azura stammered out.

And so, fifteen minutes later, Azura found herself standing outside in the hallway, arms full of elixirs, droughts, books, and gods knows what else. Slowly, ever so slowly, Azura rested her free hand on her stomach again.

"I'm…pregnant?"

* * *

A/N: I would just like to thank The Apocryphal One for writing this short little work on her tumblr that ended up being the inspiration of this entire chapter. I would also like to thank everyone who's been keeping up with the story. I know I haven't been updating nearly as much as I used to in the past, and I'm sorry, but between school, work, college-apps, and constantly being distracted, it's been..."difficult" for me to squeeze out any ideas. I know I said I would finish this story, and I will, but I'm afraid this work will never reach the amount of publicity I thought it would, especially after the release of Three Houses. If the worst comes to worst and this story ends up dying...I'm sorry. I gave it my all, but I'm pitted against a pretty steep wall, and I don't have the metaphorical climbing gear to scale it.

On a lighter note, I've been playing Team Fortress 2 again, which should be pretty apparent.


	68. Part 2: The Escape

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or of it's characters

* * *

Out of all the things she's ever done in the name of royalty, helping Lady Azura sneak out of the castle to see her sister was definitely one of the more tamer tales. As for what happened afterward? Not so much. It all started with a simple, unassuming knock on the door to the servants' quarters she and Jakob shared.

When Flora walked over to open the door, she was pleasantly surprised to see Lady Azura, of all people, standing on the other side. To her concern, the normally composed blunette looked out of breath and awfully pale, even by Flora's standards.

"Oh, Lady Azura!" Flora said, hurriedly moving to help Azura with the box of draughts and elixirs in her hands. "What brings you here? You didn't need to come down to the servants' quarters to find me or Jakob, you know. You could've—"

Azura interrupted Flora by clutching her hand and squeezing it. "I need you to take me to Felicia."

Flora blinked, caught off-guard by the sudden request. "To…Felicia?" she asked questioningly. "Um, is something the matter?"

Azura nodded and squeezed her hand again. "I need to talk to her, but nobody can know that I'm visiting her."

"What about the king?" Flora asked. "Surely, he should—"

" _Especially_ him!" Azura blurted out. "S-sorry, but Corrin can't know. Please, Felici—er, Flora. You have to help me!"

"Alright then," Flora said, pursing her lips and nodding. "I'll help you. Go out into the hallway, and—"

"No, no," Azura interrupted. "I would like it if you could take me to Felicia, personally."

"Of course," Flora said. "Just allow me to gather a few things."

Azura watched in confusion as the blue-haired maid bustled around the room, gathering things here and there. When Flora opened up her wardrobe and shoved one of her uniforms into Azura's arms, Azura looked at her in confusion.

"What is this for?" she asked, curiously running a finger over the fabric.

"It's a disguise!" Flora said, smiling. "No offense, milady, but you are one of the most recognizable people in this city, what with your hair and…choice of clothes."

"What's wrong with my dress?" Azura asked, looking down at herself. "I like it!"

"I like it too, but if we're going to sneak you past all the servants that's bound to litter the halls, then you'll have to do more than put your hair up and hope for the best," Flora said. "Just trust me, the uniform's not that bad!"

"If you say so," Azura said hesitatingly as she stepped behind a changing curtain.

While Azura changed out of her white dress, Flora curiously peered in the box she had been carrying. Her eyes widened as she read the label on one of the bottles, and as Azura walked out from behind the changing curtain, Flora tried to hide her surprise, to no avail.

As soon as Azura saw the questioning, wide-eyed look Flora gave her as she stepped away from the box, she blushed and looked down at the ground. "I-it's not what it looks like!" she stammered. "I-it's just that I've been having these headaches, and—"

"It's alright," Flora said warmly and she patted Azura's hand. "Say no more. I understand. I'll take you to Felicia right now, okay?"

Azura could nothing but nod her head as the other woman took her hand to lead her out into the hallway. As they turned the corner, Flora handed Azura an odd-looking headpiece.

"Here, take this," she said, peeking around the corner to make sure nobody was about to sneak upon them.

"What is it?" Azura asked. "Some sort of headband?"

"Sort of," Flora admitted. "It's meant to help keep your hair behind your back. That's why even though both Felicia and I have really long hair, it never gets in the way, even when we bend down."

"That's…useful," Azura noted as she placed the headband on her head. "Would've helped me with waking up."

"It's not the greatest thing in the world," Flora admitted as she helped adjust the headband. "After a while, you start to feel the hair strands being ripped out of your head, which is why I try to avoid wearing it as much as possible."

As soon as the headband was positioned comfortably atop of Azura's head, Flora took Azura's hand again and lead her down the hallway. As they walked, they passed a trio of servants, all of whom gave polite nods towards Azura and Flora.

"Evenin' Flora," one of them greeted.

"Good evening, Dyn," Flora replied, though without slowing her pace.

"You're in a rush," Dyn noted as Flora pushed past them. "Who's the new girl?"

Flora slowed momentarily. "She's a new hire. I'm…I'm just showing her around. Nothing big."

"I don't know," said another one of the servants as he leaned against the wall, effectively blocking Azura and Flora's way. "She's sort of looks familiar…cousin of yours?"

"No," Flora said bluntly, trying to step around the servant. "We just happen to have similarly colored hair."

"How often do you see someone with blue hair, huh?" the third servant said. "Thought you could only have it if you were from the ice tribe or if you were part of the Vallite royal family."

"Come on, Jarren," Flora said, exasperated. "I need to take her somewhere right now. We can't afford to waste any more time."

"Why not?" the second servant said. "I thought today was your day off? Why don't you let me show her around? Maybe this time, I'll strike rich!"

Flora froze. "What…did you just say?"

Azura tried to stop herself, but because of her heels, she was unable to stop herself from stumbling. As she fell, the second servant managed to catch her by the arm.

"Whoa there!" he said, "don't you go tripping…huh, that's odd."

"What's wrong?" Flora asked as Azura yanked her arm away. As soon as Azura regained her balance, the maid tried to pull her away, but the second servant seemed to refuse to let Azura and Flora pass.

"You're pretty muscular, you know that?" the servant said jeeringly, waggling a finger in Azura's face. "I like that in a woman, y'know. You got some legs too, you know that?"

Dyn facepalmed. "I swear to god, Mando, if you say 'you know that' one more time, I'm going to sneak a spider into your soup tonight."

"Alright, I think that's enough of that," Flora said. "You're making her feel uncomfortable."

"Why don't she tell us herself?" Jarren said, taking Azura's arm. "C'mon, we're not _that_ scary, are we?"

"Um…"

"Alright guys, cool it, will you?" Dyn suddenly interrupted. "Flora's right. You're freaking her out, and quite frankly, you're freaking me out. Mando, you should know better than to hit on women while you're working! Jarren, drop the tough guy act, alright? You're not fooling anybody."

As if they had been awakened from some sort of trance, the two other servants suddenly flinched and stood up straight.

"Oh, um, yeah," Jarren said, rubbing the back of his head. "Uh, yeah, sorry about that…what was your name again?"

"Aqua," Flora said definitively. "Her name's Aqua."

"Oh, okay," Jarren said, blinking in surprise. "Sorry about that, Aqua. Me and Mando…well, we're desperate, you feel me? It's been a while since we saw a woman as attractive you if you don't mind me saying so."

"Um, I-I don't mind," Azura squeaked timidly.

Dyn nudged Mando with the tip of his boot. "And what about you, Mando?" he asked, "What do you have to say to our brand new hire?"

"…Sorry," Mando mumbled under his breath.

As Dyn took a breath to launch into what looked like another tirade, Flora interrupted by taking Azura by the shoulders and steering her away. "Apology accepted!" she said over her shoulder. "I'll see the three of you later!"

Dyn blinked and shook his head in surprise as Flora pushed Azura around the corner. "Oh, um, alright then, Flora. We'll…see you later."

As they turned the corner, Azura glanced back at the three men. While Dyn was busy chewing out Jarren, only Mando continued to stare at her, his gaze burning a hole into Azura's skin. For a split moment, Azura could've sworn his eyes flashed red, but just as quickly as it had appeared, the light disappeared and the only thing Azura saw was the wall of stone in front of her as she and Flora turned the corner.

"Sorry about that, milady," Flora said apologetically. "Dyn, Jarren, and Mando are some of the finest servants you'll find this side of the land, but they can be a bit…off sometimes."

"I saw," Azura said. "Are they normally that…desperate?"

"No, that was the first time they actively tried to go after someone during a shift," Flora explained patiently. "Dyn is the most well-behaved out of them, and even Jarren's got a warning once or twice, most of the time it was just a joke that went too far. Mando though…"

"He sort of scares me," Azura admitted.

Flora laughed softly. "He scares me too, don't worry," she said reassuringly. "I'll talk to Jakob later and make sure he gets a verbal warning. He's usually never that forward, but then again, he doesn't usually get to see the queen of Valla in a maid's outfit."

"New Valla," Azura corrected automatically. "And I guess you were right about these uniforms. The skirt is a bit restrictive, yet somehow…lacking."

"Well, now you know why us maids always walk around like we're about to flash a part of ourselves," Flora said affably, "It's because, most of the time, we are! It's just something we get used to."

Azura laughed half-heartedly at Flora's reassurance, but she still couldn't shake the unease she felt when Mando stared at her. And what was up with that flash of red light in his eyes? Was that just a trick of the light, a result of the torches on the wall flickering in just the right way, or was it something else entirely?

Whatever else Azura was thinking was suddenly interrupted as Flora stopped in front of a wall.

"This is it," she said, gesturing to the stone wall.

Azura looked around in confusion. "This is what?" she asked.

The wall looked like every other wall in the servants' hallway. Gray cobblestone. A crack here, and missing chunk there. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary or misplaced.

"What is it?" Azura asked, looking back at Flora. "Is there supposed to be a secret switch or something that opens a door up somewhere in the castle?"

"Close," Flora admitted as she ran her hands over the wall, looking for something. "It should be right…here! Got it!"

As Flora pushed down on a stone that looked the same as every other stone on the wall, Azura heard a small click, and suddenly, without making any sound, the wall before them swung outward to reveal a bedroom with Felicia and Silas together in bed.

Felicia yelped as she turned to see Azura and Flora in the sudden portal, causing Silas to jump out of bed and blindly reach for his sword. At the same time, Azura averted her eyes (just in case) as Flora confidently strode forward.

Silas (who was wearing pants, thankfully) lowered his sword and tilted his head, confused. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked. "How did—"

"It's a servant's secret, dear," Felicia said as she hopped out of bed to stand next to her husband. "We use them to move around the castle without being seen. That's why messes are always cleaned up even though you don't see anybody going to clean it."

"Were we interrupting something?" Flora asked teasingly as she gave Felicia and Silas a quick hug.

"Oh, no, nothing at all!" Silas said, rubbing the back of his head. "Felicia was just reading her book, and I was…"

"He was preparing for bed," Felicia said, nodding fervently. "Yes, he was preparing for bed."

"It's barely five in the afternoon," Flora said flatly.

"Well, you know the saying," Silas said, flashing her one of his trademark smiles. "Early to bed, early to rise!"

"Papa?" a soft voice said. "Mama?"

Silas and Felicia both turned simultaneously to see their daughter peeking in through a crack in the door.

"Papa? Mama?" the child said again, sleepily rubbing their eyes with the balls of their fist. "Wha hap'n?"

"Oh, nothing happened, sweetie," Felicia cooed as she stooped over to pick her up. "Papa and Mama just got surprised by Auntie Flora and Auntie Azura! Say hi to Auntie Flora and Auntie Azura, Sophie! Say hi!" Felicia took one of Sophie's hands and moved it so she was "waving" at them.

"Awntee Fwowa," Sophie said, pointing to Azura. "Awntee Zuzu."

"Not quite, kiddo," Silas said as he tostled her pink hair. Pointing at Flora, he said, "That's Auntie _Flora_ , kiddo. Can you say 'hi Auntie Flora?'"

"Awntee Zuzu."

Felicia laughed softly as she cradled Sophie's head against her chest. "Please excuse us, Lady Azura," she said. "Little Sophie here is a bit…"

"Slow?" Silas offered.

Felicia glared at him as she kicked his leg. "No! She is _not_ slow! She…just has trouble differentiating people with similar colored hair!"

"Fair enough," Silas said as he rubbed noses with Sophie. The child burbled happily. "I'm sowwy about that, honey. Daddy's just kidding, right, Mama?" He gave Felicia a hopeful grin.

Felicia simply rolled her eyes and shook her head exasperatedly. Upon noticing how both Azura and Flora were still standing there, watching them, Felicia cleared her throat and shifted Sophie so that she was in a more comfortable position.

"Oh, um, sorry about that Lady Azura," Felicia said apologetically. "Let me put Sophie to bed first, and then you can talk with Silas and me."

"Um, actually, I-I need to talk to you, Felicia," Azura said, shyly waving at Sophie and Silas. "Hi, Silas. Hi Sophie. Sorry about barging in like this."

"Oh, it's no problem," Silas said, walking over to Felicia and taking Sophie. "Here, I'll take the kid. You and Azura can talk it out. I'll be in the living room."

As Silas closed the door behind him, Felicia sighed and sat down on the bed, patting the spot next to her for Azura and Flora to sit. "We weren't expecting any visitors today," she said, "Least of all through the servant's tunnel."

"You have a living room?" Azura asked. "I didn't know the castle was big enough for two suites."

Felicia looked confused. "The castle?" she asked. Then, upon realizing what Azura meant, she laughed softly. "Oh no, we don't live in the castle. Silas and I live in the castle town. See?"

Felicia gestured to the window, and as Azura looked outside, she saw that the salmon-haired woman was speaking the truth. Outside, Azura could see the marketplace and the bobbing pinpricks of light that marked a patrolling guard.

"When did you move out here?" Azura asked. "How did I never notice?"

"Oh, a couple of months ago," Felicia said. "Don't worry if you didn't notice. Corrin didn't either, at least, until Silas told him that he had to take a few days off to take care of the baby."

"How old is she now?" Azura asked. "She looks so much bigger than the last time I saw her."

"Oh, she's about a year old," Felicia answered casually. "Give or take a few months. She certainly takes after her father, though I do admit."

"I could tell," Flora joked. "How else does she look so pretty?"

Felicia gasped as she smacked her sister on the arm. "How could you? We're twins, you know. If I'm ugly, then what went wrong with you?"

Azura couldn't stop herself from laughing. In response, Flora playfully shoved her sister using her shoulder. "I should be the one asking that question. I was always the prettier one."

"Only because you had blue hair," Felicia pouted. "Father always went on and on about how difficult it was to find a suitable match for you since so many people in the ice tribe were in line."

"That is _not_ true!" Flora protested. "He only said that because at the time, he didn't know that Jakob and I were courting!"

"Uh-huh. Whatever you say, Flora."

The two sisters went on like for a few minutes, whereupon Flora suddenly gasped and turned towards Azura, who was smiling and sitting patiently.

"Oh gods! I'm _so_ sorry, milady," Flora apologized, bowing her head, "I didn't mean to drag this out."

"It's alright," Azura said, smiling back. "It's…nice to see you two like this."

Felicia frowned as she peered over her sister's shoulder. "I've been meaning to ask, Azura, why are you dressed in one of the maid's outfits again? Not saying it doesn't look good on you, but I never thought you would be the one to wear something so…so…"

"So scandalous?" Flora offered.

"No, no," Felicia mused, "That's too strong of a word…unbefitting would be a better fit. Funny, right?"

Azura laughed softly at Felicia's pun, despite Flora's ill-hidden eyeroll. "Flora wanted me to put it on so she could have an easier time sneaking me out of the castle," she explained. "I wasn't planning on wearing it at first, but Flora said that it would probably be for the better in case we happen to run into any servants."

"Why are you trying to sneak out of the castle?" Felicia asked, tilting her head. "You're the queen, aren't you? Just tell the guards you want to visit me or something, and then you can come out here without dressing up as a maid."

Flora and Azura both glanced at each other.

"It's…a bit of a special occasion," Flora said vaguely.

"You see, I'm supposed to be in a meeting with Corrin right now," Azura guiltily admitted. "But during lunch, I sort of…fainted?"

"Sort of?" Felicia asked, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean sort of? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine for now, but Corrin made me go to the healer's office," Azura replied. "And…and…"

"And what?" Felicia said. "Come on, Azura, spit it out."

Azura couldn't help but cover her mouth with her hands as she forced out the words, "I'm…I'm pregnant."

Both Flora and Felicia stared at her, jaws agape. Azura felt her face turn red as she buried her face in her hands. For a moment, both Flora and Felicia were stunned into shocked silence, but after a few seconds, both Flora and Felicia began to squeal with delight, Felicia more than Flora.

"Oh my gods!" Felicia said, giving Azura a tight hug. "Really? The healer said that you're pregnant?"

"Sh! Not so loud," Flora scolded as she looked around the room. "The reason she came here was to seek out advice, not to have you blurt it out to the whole world."

"Right, right," Felicia said, composing herself, though she still bubbled with excitement. "Sorry…but I'm just _so_ excited! When did you find out? How far along are you? Did you and Corrin plan a name yet?"

"Uh…that's the thing," Azura said, "Corrin…doesn't know."

"He doesn't?" Felicia asked, flabbergasted. "B-but I thought you two would always share your secrets with each other!"

"I know, I know," Azura said, looking down at her hands in shame. "I know I promised him that there would be no more secrets between us, but…he's so stressed right now, what with the economy failing and everything else that has been going on. I don't want to tell him things that could stress him out even more."

"Why would finding out that you're pregnant stress him out?" Felicia asked. "Well, I get what you mean—finding out your wife is growing a human inside her is kind of a big deal, but it's stressful as in all of a sudden, you have to worry about two people instead of one. If you're worried about Corrin being upset or whatever, don't be. I remember when Silas found out. He immediately hosted a party. You and Corrin were there, remember?"

"I remember," Azura said, nodding. "But…I don't know, Felicia. This is all so… _new_ to me. I don't know how to process all of this information at once."

"Hey," Felicia said warmly, taking Azura by the shoulder and pulling her into a hug. "I know it can be a lot to take in at once. I had trouble with it too, but so long as Corrin knows about the pregnancy before you start showing, you shouldn't have to worry about him getting upset that you're with child. And let's be honest, I think we both know that Corrin is going to be _ecstatic_ upon learning the fact that he's having a _kid_. You know how amazing it is to have one of those?"

"But isn't pregnancy really difficult to deal with?" Azura asked timidly. "I heard talk about how one of the maids got pregnant and the things she had to go through just to keep working."

"I remember that," Felicia said, looking up at the ceiling. "Kara always did take work too seriously, but that's not the point here. The point is, if you're worried about burdening Corrin with news of your pregnancy, don't be. If anything, finding out that he's going to be a dad is going to help him! I remember when I told Silas. He just found out one of his favorite horses from the war died, but when I told him that I was pregnant, oh _boy_ did that cheer him up."

"Well, having your horse die is, in my opinion, a little less stressful than running a kingdom and finding out that said kingdom may economically collapse in a few weeks," Azura said sarcastically.

"Oh, he'll figure something out," Felicia said dismissively. "It may not be easy, but Corrin will find a way to fix the situation. He always does. So long as you give him the necessary… _support,_ he should pull through."

"I don't know…" Azura said, looking down and resting a hand on her belly. "What if Corrin didn't want a child? What if he wanted to wait until we were both older? He's almost twenty-six, and I'm barely older than that. What if—"

"Hey, don't say things like that," Felicia said, crouching down in front of Azura and gently taking her hands. "I know you're worried about what might happen—I know I was when I first found out—but if you let people help you, it makes everything so much easier."

"But—"

"No buts," Felicia interrupted, squeezing her hand. "Just tell Corrin the truth, and everything will go over smoothly. Trust me."

"A-alright," Azura finally said, sighing. "If you say so."

"What about you, Flora?" Felicia asked, turning to address her sister. "Anything new you want to tell me?"

"Not really," Flora admitted, pressing down the front of her skirt as she stood up. "A couple of servants gave me and Azura some trouble, but nothing came out of it."

Felicia sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Let me guess, Mando and Jarren?"

"Yes, but—" Flora blinked and looked at Felicia in surprise. "How do you know?"

Felicia scowled. "Mando constantly manages to find a way to flirt with me," she said, shaking her head. "Jarren does so too, but at least the pick-up lines he uses are somewhat decent and thoughtful. Mando just goes up and talks about my legs and chest or whatever. It's honestly kind of annoying and creepy."

"Does Silas know?" Azura asked, concerned.

"Of course he does," Felicia said, sighing. "Silas talked to him a couple times, and I'm pretty sure he threatened him with a fork at some point, but so far, the only lesson he seemed to learn was to avoid flirting with a woman in front of her husband."

"I'll talk with Jakob, then," Flora said, pursing her lips. "He hasn't said anything of the sort to me, personally, yet, but he did seem interested in you, milady." She nodded towards Azura, who simply shrugged.

"It's alright," she said modestly. "I'm used to it."

"Honestly, I thought having them share a shift with Dyn, one of the most professional and respectful servants would do something to change their behavior," Flora mused. "But it seems like I was mistaken."

"I think we all were," Felicia said, frowning. "We really need to be careful of the people we hire nowadays, especially with a little one growing in here." She playfully patted Azura's belly.

"Speaking of which, how far along are you?" Felicia asked. "You don't seem to be showing a lot."

"Uh, Dr. Ludwig said I'm about six weeks in," Azura said, smiling despite the familiar feeling of her face turning red.

"That seems pretty spot-on," Felicia mused. "Just make sure you tell Corrin sometime soon, or else even he's going to start noticing the bulge."

Azura opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything, a quiet knock at the door interrupted her. As one, the three women turned towards the door to see Silas peeking his head again.

"Sorry," he whispered. "Kid was getting really fussy. She really wants you, Felicia."

Felicia sighed. "Why am I not surprised?" she said quietly. Giving Azura and Flora an apologetic look, she stood up and gently took the fidgeting child from Silas' arms.

"Don't worry, don't worry," Felicia cooed. "Mama's here. Mama's here."

As Azura watched Felicia bounce Sophie up and down, Azura couldn't help but rest her own hand on top of her belly and look down at it. Could she really do the same things Felicia was doing?

For a moment, Azura imagined herself in Felicia's place, only instead of holding Sophie, she was holding a bundle with a tuft of blue or white hair sticking out of the blankets. For a split second, Azura felt the tiniest of smiles working its way across her face.

Maybe she was overreacting. Maybe there was nothing to worry about. All she had to do was tell Corrin, and—

"Wait."

The sudden seriousness of Silas' tone caused Azura to look up, shattering her little daydream. Felicia and Flora both gave Silas a curious look as he pointed to the hidden door where Flora and Azura had entered from.

"Has that thing been open the whole time?" he asked.

"What thing?" Flora asked. "The door?"

Silas nodded. "I thought you closed the door behind you when you came in?"

"I…thought I did," Flora said, confused. "That's odd. Why is it still open?"

Silas and Felicia both shared a glance.

"Honey, get Sophie out of here," he said, his normal, cheerful tone replaced with a seriousness as hard as any stone. "Azura, get behind Flora."

"What's going on?" Felicia asked as Silas hurriedly ushered her out of the room. "What—"

Whatever else the salmon-haired maid was trying to say was lost as Silas forced the door shut behind her. Then, moving slowly to avoid making noise, he suddenly dropped to one knee and tried to reach for something under the bed.

"Show yourself!" Silas suddenly proclaimed, standing up straight and pointing a sword that he pulled from under the bed. "That's not a request!"

Both Flora and Azura stared at the open portal with confusion.

"Silas?" Azura asked quietly. "Are you sure that—"

Suddenly, Silas darted forward, his blade flashing as he stabbed it into the doorway. At the same time, a smaller flash gleamed in the torchlight as what appeared to be a dagger parried the blow. At the same time, a splash of red appeared, and a muffled cry rang out.

"Stand down!" Silas shouted. "Surrender now, and I'll make this quick!"

Before any of them could react, a figure darted out from behind a side of the wall and proceeded to sprint the other way, where Azura and Flora had come from. Silas roughly brushed past Flora and Azura as he grabbed a candle and ran into the tunnel, lifting the flame up to see better.

After standing stock still for a few moments, Silas shook his head and scowled. Azura curiously peeked out from behind Flora's shoulder. The maid had managed to procure a dagger from somewhere within the folds of her dress and was holding it in a grip so tight, her knuckles turned white.

Silas sighed and sheathed his sword as he replaced the candle. "Damn," he cursed. "He managed to escape."

"Who was that?" Flora asked, slowly lowering her dagger.

"I don't know," Silas said, roughly shoving the hidden door closed. "They were too fast. Was able to tell they were male, though, judging by the voice."

Felicia cautiously peeked into the room. "Is everything okay, Silas? I put Sophie to bed, and—"

"Felicia, take Azura and Flora back to the castle," Silas said, his cheerful demeanor vanishing. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to make a report to the king about this."

"No!" Azura blurted. "Please don't!"

Flora, Felicia, and Silas looked at her in surprise.

"Why not?" Silas asked. "Azura, don't you understand? If that was an assassin, you could have—"

"I know!" Azura snapped. "Just listen to me!"

Silas blinked in surprise as Flora and Felicia looked at each other nervously.

"I've…been talking with Flora and Felicia recently, and the reason I came here using the tunnels was so I could avoid having Corrin find out about…this. " Azura gestured to everything around her in general, "He can't find out about my sneaking out. So please, Silas. Don't tell Corrin."

Silas looked at Azura with something close to bafflement. "I-I'm sorry, milady, but—"

"Just listen to her, Silas," Felicia said, walking up behind her husband and taking his arm. "Just trust me."

"But Felicia, as—"

"Silas."

"You—"

"Silas."

"I—"

" _Silas._ "

The green-haired retainer sighed and slumped his shoulders. "Alright, fine," he said, frowning. "But all I'm saying is that—"

"No, Silas."

Silas sighed again. "Fine, fine. I won't tell Corrin, happy?"

"Promise me," Azura said, stepping forward and placing a hand on her chest. "I know he's your best friend, but please, for my sake, don't tell him."

"Fine, alright," Silas said. "I won't tell him."

"Good."

Satisfied, Azura stepped back and looked at Flora. "We should probably return to the castle," she said.

"Not through the servant's tunnel, you're not," Silas said, crossing his arms. "You're heading back to the castle the old-fashioned way."

"Sneaking in?" Flora asked.

"Using a wind spell and dropping out of the sky into the castle courtyard?" Felicia said at the same time.

"That…last one is too specific for my liking," Silas said. "But anyway, I want you to return to the castle immediately, Azura. No dillydallying, no sightseeing, no nothing. As soon as you get back to the castle, you tell the castle guards to be on the lookout for any suspicious-looking people. It's been seven years since a royal died on my watch, and I really don't want to reset that counter."

"Wait, who was the royal?" Felicia asked.

"Garon," Silas said nonchalantly. "But that's not important. Azura. Flora. Out."

"Alright, alright, we'll head back," Flora said exasperatedly. "Who the self-proclaimed 'Easy-going and Relaxed Knight,' could be so protective?"

Silas scowled. "I'm only easy-going and relaxed when there's nobody trying to sneak up on the people I'm supposed to protect," he retorted.

"Easy, Silas," Felicia, said, patting her husband's arm. "Also, Azura?"

The blunette turned around.

"Eh…I'll lend you one of my dresses. You stand out. A lot."

* * *

A/N: Hopefully, this was good enough. It's been a while since I wrote this much, so I hope the pacing and character interactions were good.


	69. Part 3: The Return

To Azura surprise and Flora's pleasure, "sneaking" Azura back into the castle was incredibly easy. After changing out of Flora's maid outfit into one of Felicia's, the two women had simply walked up to the main gate, asked to be let in, and as soon as the guards recognized the two, had opened the gate for them.

"Oh, you don't need to walk me back to the servants' quarters," Flora said upon noticing Azura following her. "You just go find Corrin and tell him the good news."

"I…um, I still need to get the box of supplies the healer gave me," Azura said, clasping her hands together.

"Oh, you don't need to do that!" Flora said. "I can just have one of the servants bring it up to you."

"I…would really prefer it if I got it myself," Azura said. "I don't want anybody else finding out about my…my _condition_."

"What about your condition?" a new voice.

Flora and Azura both turned around to see Jakob slyly stepping around the corner, a familiar-looking box in hand. As Jakob approached them, Flora couldn't help but smile at her husband's subtle smile.

"I believe this is yours, Lady Azura?" Jakob asked as he presented the box of supplies to Azura. "I admit, I may have spotted a few labels here and there, and all I have to say to you is _congratulations_."

"Well, so much for keeping anybody else from finding out," Azura said sardonically, gratefully taking the box from Jakob's arms. "Does anybody else know?"

"Not to my knowledge," Jakob said, though his jaw hardened. "But I _did_ manage to catch a couple of troublemakers. They looked suspiciously out of breath and I heard one of them mention your name, so I thought it would be fit to bring them before you."

Jakob snapped his fingers and a pair of guards and their respective prisoners slinked around the corner Jakob had come from. As Azura and Flora looked at the two gagged men, they realized that it was the two servants previously harassing Azura in the servant's passageway.

"Oh, it's you two," Flora said, crossing her arms and shooting them a glare. "How'd you two end up here?"

One of them, Jarren, Azura thought, shot his fellow servant a dirty look. "Ask him," he drawled. " _He's_ the one who thought it was a good idea to follow you two down the tunnel. I told him not to, that we would get in trouble, but he was absolutely _dying_ to follow the girl with blue hair."

"I hope you know that the 'girl with blue hair' also happened to be our Queen, Jarren," Jakob said, unimpressed.

"How was I supposed to know?" Mando mumbled, his head drooped. "She was wearing a different dress, so I didn't realize that it was her."

Flora looked utterly confused. "How can you—She's—Her dress doesn't—"

"It's alright," Azura said, resting a hand on Flora's arm. "He's…not the first one to think I'm a different person because of a change in attire."

"That still doesn't excuse the fact that he was harassing you, eavesdropping, and intruding on someone else's property," Jakob butted in. "Their punishment is up to you, should you deign to keep this matter a secret, but if you do not choose a punishment, I am duty-bound to haul them straight to Lord Corrin and have _him_ decide."

"No, no," Azura said, holding up her hand. "There's no need for that. Just…I don't know, throw them in a dungeon for a week or something?"

"A week?" Flora asked. "Milady, I understand that Corrin's normally the one who hands out punishments and all that, but any kind of threat or misdemeanor against the throne is—"

"It was just an honest mistake," Azura countered, giving the two bound men a glance. "So long as they learn their lesson about how to behave around others, there's no need to execute them."

"Still," Jakob interjected. "In my opinion, a week of imprisonment is far too light a punishment. Try…a month."

"That sounds good," Azura conceded shooting the two men an apologetic look. "Just make sure you put them where they can tell no one of this."

Jakob nodded. "Take them away," he ordered the two guards. "And remember, keep this all under wraps. Tell no one of this."

The two guards bowed and respectfully twisted their hands over their chest in a respectful gesture before hauling the two men away. As they disappeared behind a corner, Mando shot Azura a dirty glare, his eyes flashing red once again.

Instantly, Azura felt weak on her feet as a splitting headache assaulted her head. She staggered around incoherently before grabbing onto Flora's arm for balance. The maid shot her a concerned look as Jakob took a step towards her before pausing with his arms outstretched, as if he was uncertain as to continue stepping forward.

"Are you alright, milady?" Flora asked, concern creeping into her voice. "Should I call the healer?"

"N-no, it's fine," Azura said shakily as the pain faded from her head. "Just a minor headache."

"Sure didn't seem minor," Jakob snorted.

"It's probably because of the pregnancy," Flora said, shooting Jakob a glare dangerous enough to make even the butler clasp his hands together nervously. "Remember, Jakob. Tell _no one_."

"O-of course, Flora."

" _Especially_ Lord Corrin."

"Yes, of course, Flora."

"And don't forget to be just a _bit_ more sympathetic around Lady Azura, would you? She _is_ going to be a mother soon."

"Y-yes, Flora."

Azura looked between the two, unable to hide her simpering behind a hand. It never failed to amuse her that Jakob, possibly the least empathetic or sensitive person could be forced to obey commands uttered by Flora. It certainly didn't help that the temperature around them dropped noticeably.

Turning back to Azura, Flora smoothened out the front of her skirt and smiled pleasantly, a stark contrast to the chilly power Azura knew lay she possessed. "Now, shall I escort you to your quarters, milady?"

"Y-yes please. Thank you."


	70. Part 4: The Talk

A/N: Soo, I'm back! For how long, we'll see, but for those wondering if I'll be writing anything on Three Houses, the answer is yes! If you're wondering if I'm writing anything on Awakening, the answer is also yes!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of its characters.

* * *

Corrin slowly pushed open the door to his and Azura's room. It was close to sunset, and through the windows that pierced the wall to his right, he could see the sun starting to kiss the horizon. Occasionally, the streaks of sunlight would flash themselves into his eyes and Corrin would inevitably sigh and cover his eyes as he blinked the spots away.

It had been a long day and he was tired, even more so than usual. Count Hansen had been…somewhat irritable after lunch, especially after discovering that Azura would be unable to attend the later part of their meeting. After what felt like an eternity of coaxing, subtle threats, and exasperated sighs, they had finally come to a workable contract.

The count had agreed to let the kingdom make use of three of his mines, though with a hefty price. As a show of (somewhat) good faith, Corrin had agreed to Count Hansen's demands that he himself would be the one in charge of how the resources from the mine were directed, at least for six months, though only with the city's interest in mind. Once that contract expired, the city would have free reign to use those three mines, although the Count would receive a _measly_ portion of each cart of gold they hauled, maybe only a few dozen coins worth or so. A few dozen coins wouldn't add up to anything, but the longer the city needed those mines, the more money they would lose to Count Hansen.

Overall, it was a sloppy solution to a sloppy situation. Corrin knew he could have handled it better, but with Count Hansen threatening to withdraw his conditions and flat-out refuse the city access to his mines, Corrin had no choice but to accept his terms.

Even as Corrin walked into his room, unclasping his cape and tossing it tiredly around the chair, he couldn't help but scowl, annoyed by today's turnout. If only Azura had been there! Count Hansen looked like he was about to have an ulcer when he discovered Azura was to be absent for the rest of the meeting.

Corrin himself almost had an ulcer when the noble subtly slandered _his_ wife's name, and it was only through clenching the dragonstone around his neck that he was able to stop himself from having him dragged off to the dungeons for slander against the throne. Such an action, though satisfying in the short-term, would bring nothing but trouble in the future, and so Corrin settled for admonishing the Count for being so insensitive towards a woman's "bodily functions _."_

If only he knew how close to the truth he was…

* * *

Azura looked up when she heard a groan on the other side of the door. Corrin tiredly pushed open the door and tossed his cape over a nearby chair as he groaned and flopped onto the bed next to where Azura was sitting.

"Good afternoon, love," Azura said affectionately as she laced her fingers through her husband's white hair. "How went the rest of the meeting?"

"Terrible," Corrin groaned, his voice muffled by the blanket. "He would just go _on_ and _on_ about how terrible a queen you were, how disorganized everything was around her, those sorts of things. If anything existed and wasn't bolted down properly, he probably had something to say about it."

"Well, you were the one who said he could be a bit full of himself," Azura mused, twirling a lock of his hair around her finger. "How about the contract itself? Did that go through as planned?"

"More or less," Corrin said, ever the optimist even when he drew the short stick. "In all honesty, we're lucky Count Hansen wasn't any greedier. He just wanted to direct the mine's resources for a year, and I made him agree he would only use those resources if it benefited the city, not just himself."

"That's…better than nothing," Azura noted.

"He also wanted at least a dozen gold coins or so from every batch we produce," Corrin said, rolling over on his back. "A dozen doesn't sound like a lot…"

"But like a crack in a dam, everything builds up," Azura finished, interlocking her fingers and looking straight ahead. "Do you think he would have been more lenient if I were there?"

"Probably," Corrin admitted before sitting up. "Speaking of which, where were you? A couple of servants said that they saw you walking in through the main entrance as if you left and came back."

Azura froze. "I…I went to see Felicia," she said cautiously, as to avoid spoiling her secret. "T-to talk to her about my…condition."

"Alone?" Corrin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I…asked Flora to take me to her using the servants' tunnels."

"Huh." Corrin shrugged and closed his eyes. "Okay, go on. What did Felicia say about you? Are you still alright?"

"Y-yes, in a way," Azura said, catching herself. "She said that…I'm…"

"That you're…?" Corrin pressed.

"That I'm just having a pretty bad monthly!" Azura said, perking up. "Yeah, that's it. She said my monthly was just hitting me harder than usual, explaining why I feel so tired and stuff."

 _And stuff? Azura never used that kind of language before, not unless she was hiding something…_

"Oh really?" Corrin asked, still not opening his eyes, instead electing to put his hands behind his head. "I thought yours passed a week ago?"

"Two weeks," Azura corrected automatically, before catching herself and saying, "N-no, wait, you're right. One week. You know how unpredictable a woman's body can be, Corrin. Even _we_ don't know what's going on half the time."

"Uh-huh." Corrin cracked an eye open and glanced at her out the corner of his eye. "Are you lying to me, Azura?"

"No," Azura said steadfastly, maintaining eye contact. "I'm…just not telling you everything."

"And why aren't you telling me everything?"

"Because…it's really personal and I don't feel comfortable talking with it with anyone, even you?" Azura offered hopefully.

"…fair enough," Corrin conceded as he opened his eyes and sat up. "So long as you're alright, I'm happy. Just make sure you don't push yourself too hard."

Then, resting a hand on Azura's thigh and the other hand on her back, he asked mischievously, "Anyways, speaking of pushing yourself, are you down to…take a nap? I've been feeling pretty tired all day, and I've been looking forward to taking a _nap_ with you."

Azura couldn't help but scoff playfully and roll her eyes. Ever since they married, they both strived to have sex with each other at least twice a week. Normally, they would _do the deed_ either in the morning on days where they had nothing planned for the day, or at night before they drifted off to sleep.

Corrin preferred the "morning wakeup calls," as he so delicately put it, though Azura preferred making love at night, as to make it easier and more satisfying to drift off to sleep while pressed against Corrin, both of their bodies still flush from afterglow. Occasionally, they would spend some time when the day was over, in the hour or two before they ate dinner. But as a general rule of thumb, they stuck to mornings and nights, where the chances of a poor maid walking in one them was one in a million.

For a moment, Azura was tempted. It _had_ been a few days since their last bout but at the same time…it was a miracle she got pregnant _now_ compared to the countless times before when they had sex without protection, though that number was a lot smaller when compared to the number of times they used protection.

Unconsciously, Azura rested a hand on her stomach. Surely, sex wouldn't hurt the baby…right? That's how anatomy works…right?

Upon noticing Corrin looking at her hand in confusion, Azura simply shook her head and said, "Not today, Corrin. I'm still feeling a bit queasy, and I'm pretty sure if we do anything other than cuddling, I might just throw up on the bed."

Corrin raised his hands in mock surrender. "It's all fine, it's all fine," he said soothingly. "I get it. You're still sick. Plus, if we do it now, there's always a chance you could get pregnant, right? That's how it works, right?"

"…Eh, sort of." Azura said shyly. It wasn't, at least Azura thought it wasn't but who was she to correct him when even _she_ didn't have a clue what was going on with her body. She was still coming to terms about growing a person inside her.

Speaking of which…how would Corrin take the news?

Folding her hands together on her legs, Azura meekly called out, "Corrin?"

"Hm?"

"How…do you feel about having children one day?"

Corrin frowned, picking his words out carefully.

"It…would be wonderful to have a little one running around," he said finally after a brief moment of silence. "Why?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Azura said, turning away so he wouldn't see the way her face burned. "I was just asking. I mean, we _are_ going into our fourth year of marriage, and we _are_ getting older."

"Azura, you're twenty-eight years old," Corrin deadpanned. "If you're old, what does that make me?"

"Corrin, you're younger than me," Azura said, equally deadpanned. "You don't get to complain about growing old just yet."

"You're only older than me by a month!" Corrin protested.

"Your point?" Azura asked, turning her head and mischievously glancing at him out the corner of her eye.

Corrin opened his mouth to retort, but upon seeing the playful look in Azura's eye, he settled for sinking down on his haunches and shake his head mischievously at her.

"You are _so_ lucky we can't have sex right now," he said, grinning. "Otherwise, I would've railed you _so_ hard right now."

"I love you too, Corrin," Azura said, leaning over and placing a chaste, yet painfully sweet kiss on his cheek. "Don't worry, you'll get your chance one day."

"One day," Corrin murmured. "I love you too, Azura."

"Mmhmm…"


	71. Part 5: Breaking the News

A/N: What's this? A double update? On the same day?

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of its characters

* * *

Azura wrinkled her nose and held the piece of steak away from her nose in disgust.

"Eugh, what is _up_ with this food?" she asked, sticking her tongue out. "Everything lately seems to smell like liquid death to me."

"I'm pretty sure it's just you, Azura," Corrin said, not bothering to give her a glance as he tore into his teak. "We've been over this before. I can't smell anything out of the ordinary with your food, which means it's _your_ nose, not mine."

"I can't eat this," Azura said, with finality, tossing her fork onto the table and pushing away the plate. "I actually can't eat this."

"Here, have some wine," Corrin offered, pushing his own glass forward. All throughout dinner, he noticed how Azura avoided touching her glass of wine almost religiously, almost as if she couldn't drink it at all.

That wasn't the only odd thing he noticed, however. Ever since the meeting with Count Hansen two weeks ago, Azura had been acting…odd. For example, she often took longer while dressing, often frowning at her stomach or turning around to look at her waist, as if she was afraid she gained weight. Azura would also frequently turn her nose up at food, claiming it smelled "absolutely horrid," yet was able to stomach some of the oddest combinations of food Corrin had ever seen, such as cheesecake with pickles sprinkled on top.

There was also this odd…odor around her. It was hard to describe, but it was like if Azura's characteristic sweet, strawberry scent had been mixed with something more…primal and instinctual. He had never smelled the second smell before, and it was driving him _insane._

It really was odd, but Azura had kept strangely silent on the matter, frequently blaming her monthlies. If Corrin didn't know better, he could have sworn Azura was hiding something from him, but he did know better. He knew from experience that Azura would only tell him something if she was ready to tell him, and not before.

It was one of the most infuriating parts about her, yet like so many pet peeves he had with her, the more he woke up to the sight of her blissfully asleep in the morning, the more he began to tolerate them.

And so, Corrin waited.

"No thank you," Azura said, pushing Corrin's wine glass back to his side of the table. "I can't drink it, not in this condition."

"In this condition?" Corrin parroted. "You keep referring to your illness as 'this condition,' but it's been two weeks since these symptoms first showed up! Are you _sure_ you don't need me to take you to the healer?"

"I've already been," Azura said dismissively, aimlessly toying with her food. The doctor said everything's fine with the b—"

"With the what?" Corrin asked. "Everything's fine with what?"

"…n-nothing," Azura said shakily. "Forget I said anything. I'm fine, don't worry about me, Corrin."

"You _know_ it's in my nature to worry," Corrin said frowning. "I know you like to keep your secrets, and I accept that, but if there's a chance you could die, then—"

"I'm _not_ going to die," Azura said, exasperated. "Honestly, Corrin, if you could stop worrying about me and the baby so much, it would make everything so much easier for us."

Corrin frowned. "What baby?"

Before Azura could answer, the sudden appearance of a maid offering to take away their plates broke his train of thought. As he smiled gently at the maid and offered to call for assistance upon noticing the noticeable bulge in the maid's belly, Corrin froze.

There was that smell again. That odd, distinctly familiar smell. It was a primal, instinctive smell, one that emanated from both the pregnant maid and…Azura?

 _No way._

As soon as the maid disappeared around the corner, Corrin leaned forward and hastily took Azura's hand in his own. Surprised, Azura stared blankly at Corrin.

"Corrin, what's going—"

"Azura, I know you hate being confronted like this, but don't lie to me. Are you with child?"

Azura froze. How was she able to respond? _Could_ she respond?

For almost a month, Azura had kept the secret of her child exactly that—a secret. Save for Jakob, Silas, Felicia, and Flora, she was certain nobody else knew, so for Corrin to find out…

"…Yes," she managed to choke out. "I-I'm pregnant."

Almost as quickly as he had grabbed her hand, Corrin released her, his hands going to his forehead as he pushed his hair back. Azura nervously watched as Corrin got to his feet and paced around the balcony, the sunset behind them casting half of his face into shadow.

As for the half that Azura could see, she slowly watched as the small _o_ of surprise turned into one of the largest, if not _the_ largest grin she ever saw on her husband's face. As Azura watched Corrin pace around, grinning stupidly, she couldn't help but feel her own sense of mirth bubble up within her.

"You're not joking, are you?" Corrin asked suddenly, darting towards her and taking her hands again. "Please don't tell me this is some sort of elaborate joke."

"It's not," Azura said, smiling. "I'm pregnant, Corrin."

Corrin simply stared at her incredulously before leaning forward and picking her up from her chair, arms around her waist as he spun her around. At first, as he spun her, Azura had shrieked, both in surprise and fear, but as he slowed and Azura heard and felt the muffled laughter from where Corrin buried his face in her chest, she couldn't help but break out into a wide grin of her own as well.

"You're really pregnant?" Corrin asked again once he stopped spinning. "This isn't a joke?"

Azura nodded, tears suddenly springing to her eyes. "Yes," she forced out.

Then, as suddenly as he had grabbed her, Corrin leaned forward and kissed, his lips warm against hers. Azura used the opportunity to deepen the kiss. She tipped her head back, closed her eyes, and placed one of her hands behind Corrin's head while the other snaked its way down to his chest to feel his pounding heartbeat.

When they broke apart, both gasping for breath and flushed red in the face, Corrin chuckled touched her forehead with his own. "I-I can't believe it. W-we're going to be parents!"

"I know!" Azura squeaked when Corrin hugged her tightly. "You're going to be a father!"

"What about you?" Corrin asked, releasing her. "You're going to be a m—no, you're not going to be a mother. You're going to be the _best_ , the most beautiful, the most caring, the _most_ —"

Azura blushed. "Hush, you," she said, feeling this wonderful spark of joy light up inside her when Corrin rested a hand on her belly.

"—the most _wonderful_ mother," Corrin finished, eyes suspiciously bright. "She'll…love you."

"She?" Azura asked, mischievously. "Assigning genders already?"

Corrin chuckled. "Why not?" he asked.

Azura giggled as well before kissing Corrin again on the lips.

"Why not?" she agreed.


	72. Part 6: The Culmination

A/N: I know this is an oddly fast upload schedule for me, but work with me. This chapter is a bit different. Instead of one overarching topic for the entire chapter, this one will be divided into a series of 9 vignettes, each one placed roughly a month apart from each other, give or take. Obviously, you can see what I'm going at here. The quality _may_ or _may not_ be as good as the full chapters, but I'm quite happy with how it turned out.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of its characters.

* * *

 **(1)**

"…Alyx."

"Hmm…no."

"What? Come on! Not Alyx?"

Azura shook her head, smiling. "I don't know…Alyx sounds too…asserting.

"What about Felix?" Corrin offered. "I heard it's supposed to mean 'fox-eyed,' or something."

"That's a boy's name, Corrin," Azura said exasperatedly. "I thought you said she was going to be a girl?"

Corrin sighed as he tore his gaze away from the stars overhead. The two of them were lying out on their balcony, stargazing, an activity Azura found to be particularly relaxing after a long day of fending off curious passerby about her "condition."

"Well, it's always better to be prepared," Corrin countered. "How about something more gender-neutral?"

"…Ada."

"Ada…" Corrin rolled the word around in his mouth, enjoying the feel of it. "Yeah…Ada…"

"Ada…"

* * *

 **（** **2** **）**

Corrin looked up when Azura barged herself into his study, holding a pair of plastic bibs in each hand. Azura looked more excited than he ever saw her, and he could feel her infectious smile spreading to his own face.

"Look what Felicia and Silas found in the market today for us!" she said excitedly, almost squealing. "Look!"

Upon closer inspection, Corrin realized that one of the bibs was light blue and had a small yellow duck sewn into it while the other was soft pink and had what looked to be a small, cute-looking puppy on it.

"They're both incredibly cute," he admitted, grinning. "I can't choose."

"Neither can I!" Azura said, almost hopping up and down. "Why do these sorts of things have to be so hard?"

"I'm sort of liking the blue," Corrin said, reaching out to touch Azura's long blue hair. "Sort of reminds me of your hair."

Azura blushed. "So…duck?"

Corrin nodded grinning widely. "Duck," he confirmed.

* * *

 **(3)**

"You know, I hope she takes after you when she grows up," Azura said fondly as she rested a hand on her growing belly. They were currently in their bedroom, sitting on the bed against the headband as they simply watched Azura's belly.

"Why me?" Corrin said innocently from beside her. His arms were wrapped protectively around her, though making sure to avoid putting pressure on Azura's belly. "You're a pretty amazing person too, you know!"

Azura laughed self-deprecatingly. "I'm just a simple songstress," she said half-guiltily. "Everybody knows I practically had no right to be royalty after everything, but—"

"Hey, hey, hey," Corrin said hurriedly, shifting his hands up so he could cup Azura's cheeks in his hands. "Don't talk about yourself that way! As far as I'm concerned, you are the most wonderful, most caring person I've ever known. You've helped me so many times, and you've suffered too much for me to even consider taking you as anything other than my wife."

Azura's eyes dropped to her belly, pursing her lips. "But what if they grow up to be like me? What if—"

"No what-ifs," Corrin interrupted, giving her a small kiss. "What's wrong if they grow up to be like you? As far as I'm concerned, _you_ are the best thing to grace this world, and if our Ada turns up anything like you, then all the better!"

Azura wiped away tears she didn't know had accumulated on her eyelids. "Thank you, Corrin."

"Of course," Corrin said, kissing her on top of her head. "Anything for you."

* * *

 **(4)**

The first thing Corrin did when he walked into their bedroom and saw Azura sitting grumpily on the ground, surrounded by discarded dresses and skirts, he immediately pulled out his dragonstone and looked around the room warily.

It had been about eighteen weeks since Azura had gotten pregnant, and it had been approximately eighteen weeks since Corrin was able to walk around the castle freely without wondering if his wife was okay. Every waking moment was dedicated to her comfort, to her safety, and even the most pompous of nobles couldn't help but smile fondly at the young king whenever news of his wife caused him to either grin widely or jump to his feet and begin pacing.

Nobody could blame him, after all. Many of the nobles were older than Corrin by a relatively significant amount, but seeing the young king acting so full of both life, terror, and pure, unadulterated _joy_ was something even the most pompous nobles would have to suppress their smiles about.

"Is everything alright?" Corrin asked warily, once he was sure Azura was safe. "Do you need help getting up? What's wrong?"

Azura scowled half-heartedly, both touched by his sincerity and annoyed by how close he was always to her suddenly. Honestly, she felt like Corrin hovered around her like a mother hen at times, but when she was being reasonable, she knew it was just because he cared about her and the baby. But mostly, her annoyance was brought up by one key thing:

"None of my dresses fit me anymore."

 _Oh._

Corrin hastily shoved his dragonstone necklace back inside his tunic as he knelt next to Azura. "I'm…sure…"

Corrin _had_ to be careful of his word choice. Just last week, the relatively innocent statement of " _Oh, that dress fits you really well today! I could barely tell that you're pregnant!"_ from him had resulted in several yanked ears, shouts, and a red-faced Azura chasing after him with a sandal.

Who knew sandals could hurt so much?

This time, Corrin said nothing, partially because he had nothing to say that would comfort her, but also because he knew nothing to say that would prevent Azura from flying in a fit of rage.

As a songstress who was often self-conscious of her appearance, Azura could be a bit…touchy when it came to her weight, something he had learned that the hard way.

Thankfully, it appeared no words were needed this time, for as soon as he knelt next to Azura, she put her head against his shoulders and immediately closed her eyes. Before long, he felt her weight shift against him and heard the cute telltale signs of her snores, something else the healers mentioned pregnancy would bring. Sighing fondly, Corrin tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before carefully moving to pick her up and place her in their bed.

As soon as she was safely swaddled in blankets, Corrin leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"Sleep tight, my little princess and queen."

* * *

 **(5)**

Azura didn't know when Corrin left, but when her hand sleepily reached out for his familiar warmth, she felt nothing but empty air and cold bedsheets. Blinking her eyes sleepily, Azura slowly sat up. A thin sliver of silver moonlight shone the gap in the windows, showing that the moon outside was still very full and very bright, which told Azura that it was probably _very_ late.

The near-extinguished candle on the nightstand on Corrin's stand also supported that statement, and although the light offered by the candle was practically nonexistent, it was enough for Azura to see that the room was entirely devoid of a white-haired half-dragon.

"Corrin?" she called out, yawning. "Corrin, where are you?"

A slight clatter coming from their washroom caused Azura to swivel her head around. At the same moment, Corrin awkwardly staggered out of the washroom, one hand lazily scratching his back as he looked up at Azura.

"What are you doing up so late?" he whispered, his red eyes glowing suspiciously brighter than usual in the darkness.

"I could ask the same of you," Azura countered, swinging her legs off the bed to grab her husband's arm. "What were you doing in the bathroom?"

Corrin shrugged. "Bathroom things," he said simply.

Azura sighed. Of course. What was she expecting? "Come back to bed with me, would you?" she asked. "The bed's a lot warmer with you around."

To Azura's concern, Corrin did not move. In fact, he stopped moving entirely. Even his eyes remained locked on the bedpost. When Corrin refused to budge even when Azura tugged at his arm, she stopped and frowned. Corrin was normally very open and relaxed normally, in both personality and body language. For him to be frozen like this meant that something was wrong.

"Corrin?" Azura asked, tilting her head. "Corrin, are you alright?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure," he said, sounding very unconvincing. Sheepishly, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, guess I spaced out there for a second. I was busy…thinking."

"Thinking about what?" Azura asked, pressing a palm flat to his tone chest to feel the reassuring beat of his heart. "Baby stuff?"

"Er, yes and no," Corrin said. Clarifying, he hesitatingly asked, "Azura, do you ever wonder what… _traits_ you want to pass onto Ada?"

Azura tapped her chin with one finger. "Hmm…I don't think so, necessarily. Why? Have you?"

Corrin nodded. Silently, he pulled out his dragonstone attached to a necklace and presented it to Azura. "What if…"

Azura's eyes widened as she realized what Corrin was implying about their future child. "Oh gods, Corrin," she whispered.

She stepped forward as much as her growing belly would allow and wrapped her arms around him. He swiftly responded, but not as fast as Azura would have liked.

Pulling away, she reached up to touch his face and said, "Don't think about that. There's no way Anankos could affect her, not anymore."

"But what if?" Corrin said, reaching up and gently prying her hands away. "I-I mean, I'd like to consider myself Anankos-free when it comes to my biology, but that still doesn't change the fact that I'm still half-dragon. What if Ada ends up like me, forced to use a dragonstone all her life lest she go mad? Or, what if—"

"No what-ifs, Corrin," Azura said gently. "We've talked about this before. You're the _kindest_ man I know. I know you won't allow her to turn out like Anankos, and I _know_ she won't be anything like you."

Corrin grimaced. "T-thanks."

Azura grimaced herself. "N-not like that!" she exclaimed. "I meant they won't have the same…temperament as you!"

"That's…not any better."

Azura sighed. "Just…just shut up and take this for me, would you?"

Before Corrin could do so much as take a step back, Azura quickly closed the gap between them once more and pressed her lips to his in a deep kiss. For a moment, he hesitated before his hands automatically went up to her head to cradle it.

When they pulled apart, flushed and gasping for breath, Azura took Corrin by the arm and slowly dragged him back to bed. "We won't let anything happen to her," Azura said with conviction. "And if she does turn out to be like you, then we'll help her get through it. Together."

"Together?" Corrin asked.

Azura nodded firmly. "Together."

 **(6)**

When Corrin heard Azura cry out, he literally dropped everything he was doing and came running into the bedroom, half-dressed. His eyes tore the room apart as he searched for the cause of her distress, dragonstone already pulled out.

Instead, he was greeted to the sight of Azura grinning widely at her stomach as she gently placed her hand on top of the bulging skin.

"Azura?" Corrin called. "Are you alright?"

To his surprise, when Azura looked up at him, instead of fear or shock on her face, there was only pure, unfiltered _joy_ in her beautiful features.

"She…she kicked, Corrin! She kicked!"

Corrin lowered the clenched fist holding his dragonstone and stared at her in confusion. "She…kicked?" he asked. Then, realizing what she just said, his own face began to light up in excitement and joy. "She kicked?"

Azura nodded, tears threatening to overspill. Corrin hurriedly rushed over to her, one hand resting itself on her back as the other one found its way onto her belly. "Where did she kick?" he asked, barely able to contain his excitement. "Where?"

"Here," Azura said, taking his hand and moving it a few inches to the left. For a few moments, both wife and husband were absolutely still until Corrin suddenly flinched and retracted his hand sharply, a broad smile breaking out on his face.

"Did you feel it?" Azura asked excitedly.

"Y-yeah!" Corrin stammered, still in shock. "I-I can't believe it! I can't wait!"

"Neither can I," Azura said tearfully, reaching up to kiss him happily. Corrin was only too eager to kiss her back.

* * *

 **(7)**

"…just saying, how do we know if the child is really his? She was a dancer in the war, wasn't she? It could be possible that she bedded another man during that time! She could still be seeing him, for all we know!"

"…true…she _is_ a bit too quiet and reclusive for my taste. She could be seeing that other man still."

Corrin froze, hands clenched together into fists.

He had experienced court life enough to know that save for talk about usurping the throne and similar topics, court gossip was exactly that, gossip. He could tolerate a few jabs and insults at his expense, but the _one_ thing he would never allow were insults to his wife. _Especially_ his pregnant wife.

"Would you like to repeat that?" Corrin said loudly, stopping in his tracks and causing Silas behind him to stumble and curse under his breath.

The two nobles flinched and looked up at him. "M-milord!" one of them said. "W-we weren't expecting to find you here!"

"And I wasn't expecting you to find the two of slandering my _wife_ ," Corrin said angrily. "And I was _definitely_ not expecting you two to be slandering the queen of New Valla. Explain yourself!"

One of the nobles took a hesitant step back while the other gave him a nervous look. "Well, you see, milord…" he said, wringing his hands. "We were simply…concerned about our queen's loyalty to you. You see, for being a Queen, she is oddly reclusive and—"

"And that's your argument?" Corrin thundered. "'She's quiet and she's shy?' _That's_ your excuse?"

"M-milord—"

"Need I remind you that I will _not_ tolerate this kind of talk against my wife!" Corrin said, stomping towards them, finger angrily raised. "You all know me to be a forgiving man, but the one transgression I will _never_ forgive you for is for insults against the queen of Valla, my wife, and most importantly, the _mother_ to _my_ unborn child. Am I understood?" By the end, Corrin was almost shouting.

The two nobles were almost shaking in their fancy robes. As they hurriedly nodded and scooted away, as far from Corrin as possible, Silas uttered a low whistled and crossed his arms behind Corrin as the two men watched the nobles scurry away.

" _Daaaamn_ ," Silas said, grinning. "Don't think I ever saw you that mad before, Cory."

"The same damn rules apply to you too, Silas," Corrin growled.

Silas chuckled and raised his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, never could find anything bad to say about Azura five years ago, and I'm not about to start looking."

* * *

 **(8)**

"Ooh, how far along are you?"

"What's their name?"

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Can I touch your stomach?"

If there was one thing Azura hated about being pregnant, it was the sharp decrease in mobility. Now that she couldn't see her own feet (which had brought forth its own stream of tears that day), she felt even more like a whale. A swollen, misshapen whale at that.

Balance was hard to find sometimes. It was practically impossible to bend down at the waist now, and Azura constantly had to rest one or both hands on the back of her hips to feel like she wasn't going to fall forward. All of these new changes were hard to get used to, but the _one_ change Azura wished she could reverse was the changes to her running speed.

Years past, Azura was surprisingly one of the fastest people on the battlefield due to her dancing skills, though she wiped out unusually early on training runs. That same level of agility was retained even after the war was over and Azura found herself able to swiftly duck around a corner whenever she saw a crowd of nobles bearing down on her.

Now that she was pregnant, however, such things were impossible. The most she could do was waddle awkwardly like some sort of bird, and even then, Azura felt like her belly was going to rip away from her body if she did it for too long, and thus, Azura was forced to contend with the mobs of noblewomen that seemed to be everywhere.

Azura desperately tried to answer as many questions as she could without stopping her waddle. "Far enough. Ada. We don't know. No. Stop that. Soon."

Eventually, after what felt like an eternity, Azura rounded the corner and saw the open door to her room. Corrin was already instead, standing in the middle of the room as he curiously perused through a notebook. He looked up as the sound of a crowd of noblewomen reached his ears, and to Azura's irritation, a flicker of amusement flashed in his eyes as he saw Azura desperately trying to escape from them.

"Alright, alright, that's enough!" he said, spreading his arms out and gently pushing the women back. "I think that's enough questions for today. Your queen is tired, and I'm sure she wants some time to herself."

"But—"

"One more question!"

"Can I at least touch her stomach before I go?"

Corrin grinned easily at them, though Azura could that the firmness in his eyes was as good as any answer. "No. Have a good afternoon, ladies."

As Corrin forced the door shut, Azura sighed and sat on the bed, rubbing her aching feet. At the same time, Corrin sighed as well and slid down the door until he was sitting on the floor.

"Long day?" he asked.

Azura nodded. "They've been chasing me around all day. You?"

Corrin shrugged. "Could've been worse, could've been better."

"That's good."

For a long while, the two simply remained in a comfortable silence. Finally, Azura broke the silence by saying, "Do you think we're truly ready for a child?"

"Of course," Corrin scoffed. "Why wouldn't we be?"

"I-I don't know," Azura said, looking abashed. "They were asking so many questions. It was almost as if we weren't supposed to have any kids and they were surprised that we went ahead and got one anyways."

"Nah, that's just nobility to you," Corrin said, shaking his head exasperatedly. "Always trying to poke their noses into somebody else's business but never wanting to tell anyone their own dirty secrets. It can be pretty irritating at times, but don't worry. Just a few more months of this, and they'll leave you alone, right?" Corrin tried for an easy-going smile.

Azura smiled. "Yeah, hopefully."

* * *

 **(9)**

"Hey Corrin, guess what?"

"What?"

"Month nine just rolled around."

The two of them were lying together in bed, both flushed from their most _recent_ activity. Sure, Azura may be pregnant which made it risky for Corrin to be on top of her and nigh-on impossible for Azura to be on top of Corrin without crushing him (sometimes she had been surprisingly light-hearted about), but gods be damned! they were going to find a way!

Either way, after they both finished, Corrin simply laid on his back, facing the ceiling while Azura tried to snuggle up to him as best she could. It was hard, considering the massive bulge in her belly, but she made it work.

"How do you know?" Corrin asked.

"Oh, I just looked at the clock," Azura said mischievously, pressing a kiss to the underside of Corrin's jaw. "You know what that means, do you?"

Corrin couldn't help but grin. "Oh yeah, I do. Celebratory lunch tomorrow?"

Azura grinned as well. "What do you think?"

* * *

Everything had happened so fast.

One moment, the servant had brought Corrina and Azura their dishes. Azura had noticed that the servant was actually Mando, one of the servants who had harassed her a couple of months, but the man had been surprisingly light-hearted about the whole ordeal, apologizing to both Corrin and Azura (Corrin had glared at him for a full minute before turning his attention back to Azura).

Like before, Azura had noticed a red glint in his eye as he turned around to deliver their drinks, but when she brought it up with Corrin, he dismissed it as a trick of the light. After all, she _was_ nine months pregnant.

Right as they were about to dig in, Azura had wrinkled her nose and gagged at her dish, which consisted of some grilled fish and asked if she could swap with Corrin, who had some sort of salad with some berries sprinkled around it. Corrin gracefully accepted, and one moment, they were both enjoying their meal, and the next, Corrin was kneeling on the ground next to Azura, cradling her in his arms, screaming at her to wake up and for the servants to call for help.

* * *

A/N: As a precaution...I'm sorry


	73. Part 7: The Aftermath

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates or any of its characters

* * *

When Silas finally found Corrin, the half-dragon was alone in the training yard, busy turning the training dummies into dust and practice swords into useless shards of metal. As Silas watched Corrin swing a sword towards a training dummy with enough force to cut through both metal and straw, he couldn't help but think back to the utter _fear_ he felt in his stomach when he heard Corrin's cries of help and found Azura lying unconsciously on the floor, skin gray and clammy-looking.

For a moment, Silas was tempted to call out to his friend but decided against it. There was no way Corrin wouldn't notice the presence of another person in the training yard, and when Corrin hurled the broken sword he was using into a pile of similarly shattered swords, he turned towards and said three words:

" _How is she?"_

Uncharacteristically nervous, Silas wrung his hands together before stepping forward. "She's…not doing so good," he reluctantly admitted, eyes downcast. "We…don't know what happened, but we seem to think she was poisoned."

" _Gods_ fucking _dammit_!"

Silas flinched and hastily retreated as Corrin turned around and slashed at the nearest training dummy, his arm transforming into a giant mouth with gaping jaw. Silas watched, both fascinated and terrified as he watched the mouth shred the dummy into splinters.

After a moment, when the training dummy was practically reduced to atoms, Corrin transformed his hand back into its human form and reared on Silas. "Will she live?"

Silas wanted to say yes. He _desperately_ wished to say yes, but how could he lie like that to his friend, even when the lie was about his pregnant wife's life? He just couldn't do it!

"I…I don't know," he said, shaking his head. "The healers said that…the baby may not live if things get worse."

" _How_ , pray tell," Corrin growled, glaring at Silas, "can _this_ get any worse? My wife and unborn child are in danger, and you're telling me there's something _worse?_ " He laughed humorlessly. "Tell me, Silas, what would _you_ feel in this situation if Felicia and Sophie were the ones dying?"

"Azura and the child won't die!" Silas said, placatingly raising his hands. "You gotta focus on the bright side, Corrin!"

"And _how_ the _fuck_ am I supposed to focus on the bright side when my wife and unborn child are lying in bed, _dying_?" Corrin shouted furiously, gesturing towards the castle. " _How,_ Silas? Huh? _How_?"

Silas opened his mouth and stammered for a reply, but after a few stutters, he found himself devoid of a reply. Corrin simply bared his teeth in a growl that revealed his inhuman nature before turning and striding away.

"Bring me another dummy and a sword," he ordered.

Silas found his voice again. "Milord, I—"

"Did…I…stutter?" Corrin growled, looking back. "I said bring me another one!"

Silas sighed. He desperately wanted to help Corrin. Beating training dummies into the ground wouldn't help him at all but at the same time…what else could distract him? Silas had only heard tales of Corrin being this angry before, and that was _before_ he had a dragonstone to control himself. If he lost himself to his rage now, who knows what it'll take to bring him back under control?

Corrin tapped his foot impatiently as he settled into an _en guard_ pose. "Silas!" he roared. "Bring me another!"

"Yes, milord," Silas said sullenly. He gazed up at the window which led to the room he knew Azura and the child was kept in. Although he was not a pious man, he found himself praying to every god and deity he knew.

 _Please, if there's anyone out there, please let them get through this alright. Please._

* * *

Corrin didn't know how long he stayed in the training yard. A few people came and went, usually looking worried or muttering condolences, but none of them other than Silas really stayed, which Corrin was fine with. Lilith had arrived a few hours ago from Notre Sagesse where she had been part of a volunteer project to translate and preserve the Rainbow Sage's books, yet Corrin had been unable to tear his gaze away from the training dummy before him.

Even as Lilith apologized for not being there for him and Azura, cried for her brother's loss, and tearfully shook his arm, begging him to please talk to her, Corrin said nothing. Instead, he shrugged her off as he stooped down to pick up another sword from the training rack.

Eventually, even Lilith left him, albeit reluctantly and in tears, which left only one person behind.

"Milord, you really must stop!"

"Don't tell me what to do, Otis," Corrin growled as he hacked another training dummy into bits. "You have…" he grunted as he yanked his sword out of the dummies' straw stomach, " _no_ idea what I'm feeling."

"On the contrary," he said coolly, though he sad look in Otis' eyes grew even sadder as he watched the king take another sword from the training rack and hurl it into a training dummy with enough force to crack the post holding it up in half. "I know _exactly_ what you're going through, and unlike most others, I can relate and share your feelings on this matter."

"There's nothing to share," Corrin growled. "I'm worried about Azura and Ada, and that's it. There's nothing to discuss."

Otis sighed and sat down on one of the remains of the few dummies Corrin didn't _completely_ destroy. "On the contrary," he said again. "You're not just worried about Azura and your child, you're _angry_ at those who sought to hurt her in the first place."

Corrin buried a sword into the ground. "So? What if I am?" he said vehemently. "Am I now not allowed to worry about my wife and unborn child simply because I'm the king?"

"Of course not," Otis said, "but because you are the king, you cannot let others see you like this."

"Like what?" Corrin asked haughtily. "Taking my anger out on training dummies?"

"In a way," Otis admitted. "Already many nobles have been talking about your…behavior. Of course, many of them already know of the accident, and—"

" _Accident?"_ Corrin asked, rearing on the older man. " _Accident?_ Accident? That was no accident! Someone deliberately poisoned _my_ Azura! _My_ child! How was that an accident?"

"I misspoke," Otis said hurriedly. "Many of the nobles have already heard news of the assassination attempt, and although many of them understand your plight, there are a few who question if you are…mentally sound following this whole ordeal."

"I am perfectly fine physically and mentally," Corrin growled. "I just want this whole… _thing_ to stop existing."

"I know you do," Otis said soothingly, "but you have a kingdom to take care of. Few people will care about this incident so long as it doesn't affect them. So long as people see that _you're_ able to continue, they won't lose hope, but should word spread that the king has given in to his inner rage and is acting like a wounded owlbear…"

Corrin turned around and refused to say anything. Otis sighed and reached up to pat him gently on the shoulder.

"I know you're angry right now, milord," Otis said quietly. "I know I felt the same way when I lost my own family, nigh on twenty or thirty years ago. I wanted to scream at the gods and tear them down with my own bare hands or die trying, but in the end, I realized the only person I was harming was myself. Consider it lucky that Lady Azura was still alive and breathing when we found you two, or else, she could have followed a similar fate to my own wife."

"And the child," Corrin muttered, almost too low for Otis to hear.

"And the what?" he asked.

"Ada," Corrin said, louder this time. "Don't forget about her either. She's in just as much danger as Azura, if not more."

"Ah yes, the child," Otis mused. "O-of course, I can't promise that she'll be completely fine…but I'm sure the healers will do everything they can to make sure both of them are healthy."

"…"

Otis sighed and rested a hand on Corrin's shoulder. "You should get some rest, milord," he advised. "You'll have a _very_ busy day tomorrow, and you'll need your rest. If you choose not to sleep, then please, for Lady Azura's and my own sake, refrain from doing anything reckless. The healers will need every ounce of their concentration to heal Azura, and distractions will only endanger her and the child."

Corrin worked his jaw as if he was chewing on something incredibly hard and bitter. "Fine," he snapped, whipping his cape around himself and walking away, into the castle. "Have the agenda on my desk by tomorrow morning. I'll deal with _them_ myself."

Otis nodded. "Yes, milord."


	74. Part 8: The Interrogation

Corrin blearily looked up from his and Azura's stack of paperwork as a knock on the door woke him from his uncomfortable nap. Ever since Azura had been poisoned and was lying in their bed, unconscious, Corrin was forced to take up both of their workloads. The workload was…crushing. Between holding court and doing all the paperwork for _that_ , he now had to cover for Azura's own workload. Otis had offered to help him with Azura's part, but Corrin declined. He _wanted_ something that distracted him from his everyday thoughts, mainly because those thoughts currently involved a songstress lying in their bed, poisoned, pale, and on the brink of death.

Corrin shook his head. _No, stop it. Don't think about that right now. Focus on what's in front of you._

Corrin couldn't help but scowl as the person knocked again, more insistently this time. "Milord?" someone called, and Corrin vaguely registered the voice as belonging to Kaze. "Milord, are you in there?"

"What is it?" Corrin called back, lifting his head up from the desk as Kaze walked in.

It had been while since he saw the green-haired ninja. Despite technically being Corrin's head spymaster, Corrin rarely saw or talked to his friend. Between his castle duties, taking care of the homestead he shared with Mozu, and taking care of their child, Corrin often went weeks or months without seeing even a single hair of his friend. Now, he was glad that he never released Kaze from his service, a notion he had debated over for the longest time, though he was sure the ninja would help him in this situation no matter what.

"What is it?" Corrin asked roughly. "I'm _busy_."

"Busy taking a nap, apparently," the green-haired ninja said dryly. Noticing the dark circles under his liege's eyes, he added, "You should take a break, milord."

"I _can't_ ," Corrin said, gesturing to the massive pile of papers scattered on his desk. "I have work."

"You're only doing this to yourself so you won't have to think about Lady Azura," Kaze said, observant as always. "It's not healthy."

Corrin glared up at Kaze, who stared back steadfastly. "It's not _your_ wife that was poisoned," he snapped. "How about this? You and I switch places. You can be the one dealing with the knowledge that your _pregnant_ wife was poisoned and is on the brink of death, and _I_ can be the one helping you track down the culprit. How's that?"

Kaze bristled, an unusual show of discomfort from the usually cool and level-headed ninja. It pained him to see his friend like this, it really did, but at the same time, he couldn't help but sympathize with his situation. If Mozu was the one poisoned, Kaze would probably be burying himself up the head in work just to avoid thinking about it, but then again…

"That's not important right now, milord," Kaze said, steering the conversation back on track. "We've captured the culprit."

Corrin's eyes widened as he sat up, instantly awake despite his aching bones. "The culprit?" he asked. "Like…the one who—"

"Yes," Kaze said, nodding firmly. "The very one. We caught him just a few minutes ago, and we're taking him to the dungeons as we speak."

"Take me to him," Corrin demanded, standing up.

"Of course, milord," Kaze said, inkling his head before turning around to lead Corrin out from his office.

As Corrin passed the glass case containing Yato, he paused and looked at the golden weapon. After a moment's consideration, Corrin shrugged and opened the case, buckling the golden scabbard onto his belt.

Sometimes, words won't cut it.

* * *

Corrin had been in the dungeons only once before, and that single experience was enough to change his view on how he handled court. He considered New Gyges to be a very nice place to live. He wanted it to be a place of joy and happiness, as cliché as that sounded, but as Corrin learned the hard way, there can be no joy without sorrow.

Torches flickered and cracked along the gray stone walls as Kaze led Corrin down a passageway lined with cells. The stone was cold and wet under Corrin's bare feet, and Corrin was forced to duck more than once in order to avoid a stray cobweb.

Finally, after walking for what felt like forever, Kaze stopped in front of a cell and spoke a few words to the guard in front of it. Satisfied, the guard stepped to the side and allowed Corrin and Kaze to approach the cell. Corrin stopped and looked at the prisoner inside.

It was the servant who had served had served him and Azura that fateful day. It appeared that he been dragged here involuntarily, judging by the bruises and cuts along his face and arms. His hands were chained together to the ceiling, and as Corrin's eyesight adjusted to the darkness of the cell, he saw the one of the man's eyes was missing, obscured by a lock of black hair.

"Wake up, inmate," the guard said nastily, rattling the cell bars with the butt of his lance. "Your majesty would like to have a few words with you."

The servant lifted his head up, confirming Corrin's suspicions that the man was indeed missing an eye. The servant stared back at him blankly, almost if he was staring through him instead of at him. The dullness of his gaze concerned Corrin, but he forced that feeling down.

 _Remember, he tried to kill Azura and Ada. He doesn't deserve_ _ **anything.**_

"What is your name?" he said, gripping the cell bars with his hands.

The servant said nothing.

The guard pointed his lance through the space between the bars and roughly prodded him with the butt of his lance. "Hey, look up when the king's talking to you. Answer his question."

The man groggily spat some blood onto the floor as he glared at Corrin. "The name's Mando," he said. "Mando Rusworth. Son of Garald Rusworth and—"

"I don't care who your parents are," Corrin said coldly, tightening his grip around the call bar. "I'm here to talk, and you _will_ answer me."

"Fat chance," Mando said, spitting out another glob of blood. "I've already confessed to everything. I poisoned Lady Azura accidentally while trying to poison you, milord."

"Don't you dare say her name!" Corrin said, banging the cell bar and causing everybody, including Kaze to flinch and look up at the half-dragon. "After what you've done to her, you don't _deserve_ to say her name."

"As you wish, milord," Mando said sardonically.

"He's been like this for hours now," the guard whispered to Corrin. "Besides his confession and his name, we haven't been able to get anything out of him."

Corrin looked at the guard out the corner of his eye. "I thought you said you just caught him?"

"That's my mistake," Kaze said hurriedly, stepping in between the two men. "We actually caught him about four hours ago, trying to sneak out of his city. He hadn't shown up to his shift and the other servants were talking about it, so I pulled a few strings and had him captured before he could escape."

"And you didn't tell me?" Corrin asked angrily. "I should've been the first one to know! If anything, I—"

The sound of low chucking paused Corrin's words in half and the three men turned to see Mando laughing darkly to himself. His chains rattled noisily as he pulled on them, and as Corrin gripped the cell bar again, Mando asked mockingly, "How would you feel if Lord Anankos could see you know? Or worse…" he waggled his eyebrows, "…Lady Azura?"

Kaze was the first to recover. "What…did you just say?" he asked. "Lord Anankos is dead, and so is his power."

Mando gurgled again as he broke into a coughing fit. Blood splattered the floor in chucks as he continued laughing. As soon as his fit ceased, Mando shook his head and said, "If only you knew, little dragon. Lord Anankos and his power will _never_ die. He shall reign forever, and with him, we shall—"

Mando gurgled again as something long, white, and black pierced his belly. Kaze and the guard looked at Corrin in surprise as they saw that he had transform one of his arms into a long dragon lance, the point of which was embedded into the wall on the other side of Mando's body.

Mando coughed again, splattering the limb piercing his body. "Knew it," he coughed. "It was…only…a matter of time…before… _urgh._ "

Slowly, Mando's body fell limp, and as he died, Corrin could make out the words "All hail Anankos," under his breath.

For a moment, both Kaze and the guard stared in shock at Corrin and at the servant's limp body. Like before, Kaze was the first to recover and he grabbed Corrin by the shoulders.

"What did you just do?" he said. "What did you just do?"

"What I had to," Corrin said simply. He transformed his lance-arm back into its normal form and looked pointedly at the guard. "Say nothing of what happened here," he ordered. "Am I understood?"

The guard hurriedly nodded. "Y-yes, milord," he stammered. "Of course."

"Good." Corrin turned towards Kaze. "Make sure we get rid of the body. Leave no evidence."

Kaze frowned. "But milord, you—"

"Leave. No. Evidence." Each word was hard and cold, and Kaze couldn't help but shiver at the cold fury in his friend's voice.

Kaze desperately wanted to act as a friend and grab Corrin by the shoulders and shake them until his anger dissipated, but he made an oath to himself long ago that he would always put duty above all else. It was a hard oath to live by…but it certainly grounded him at some points.

This was the first time he wished it didn't.

"Of course," Kaze said, twisting his hand over his chest in a respectful gesture. "As…as you wish."


	75. Part 9: The News

There had only been three times in his life where Corrin had voluntarily dropped Yato. The first time was when he took a gaping blow across his sternum to save Azura from the literal clutches of a Faceless. The second was when he saw the daunting army before him during their final battle with Anankos, and the third was when he cast the legendary weapon aside to hug Azura after the battle.

Today marked the fourth.

" _What?_ "

The young woman before him clasped her hands together nervously. "I'm sorry to tell you that because of the poison…the two of you may lose the baby."

The world seemed to turn around Corrin as he staggered back. His hand let Yato drop to the ground as he caught himself on one of the few training dummies he hadn't eviscerated yet. The ground seemed to spin underneath him, and Corrin felt himself wanting to throw up more than once as he looked up at the nurse.

"You're lying," he finally stammered out. "You're lying. There's no way we could have lost Ada this late."

The nurse pursed her lips. "I-I'm sorry. Doctor Ludwig already ran dozens of tests on the womb. We're detecting no signs of life from Lady Azura other than her own."

"You're…you're lying!" Corrin shouted jabbing a finger at her. "Take me to her. I want to see this for myself."

"Milord, please!" the nurse begged. "Barging in now would only disturb the queen's rest, and—"

"I don't care," Corrin growled, pushing past her. "Either you take me to see her, and I turn the door into splinters."

Corrin left the nurse behind in the training yard as he pushed his way past the hallway. Servants and knights most stumbled back in alarm at the hard look on his face, but Corrin could not bring himself to care. All he cared about was reaching his room.

When he finally reached the door, he all but tore the door away as he stomped in. He felt a small pang of guilt at the cries of surprise and shocked expressions from the healers as he grabbed the doctor by the front of his tunic and shook his hard enough to fling his glasses across the floor.

"Tell me you're lying," he growled. "Tell me our child is alright!"

"I'm zorry, your machesty! All zee zigns are zere!" the doctor exclaimed. "Ve'fe tried effery manner of sbell, herb, and trick! Ve can't find hanozer zign of life!"

Corrin stared blankly at the doctor. Then, slowly, he released the doctor's shirt and let his hands fall to his sides.

"I…I see," Corrin said simply. "Is…is there any hope…?"

"I'm afraid not," the doctor said. Then, awkwardly, he added, "If…If vu visch, ve could leaffe zee tvo of vu alone. Let vu zau zome final koodpyes."

"Doctor Ludwig!" one of the healers exclaimed. "You can't just—"

"He dezerffes it," the doctor said. "No one schould haffe to zuffer zis kind of loss, Hesbecially ven zee child vas zo cloze to Harriffing. Let him haffe his time. Arh ! Zere's nein risk to zee badient if he doesn't touch Hanyzing."

Slowly, reluctantly, the other healers rose and shuffled past Corrin, out the door into the hallway. The doctor was the last to leave, and as he shuffled past Corrin, he rested a hand on his shoulder and murmured, "I'm zo zorry for your loss, your machesty. Truly, I am. Put don't forget zat...zat first schtep tovards Hoffercoming grief is anger or denial. It's natural to feel zis vay, Hesbecially afder zomezing like zis. If vu or Lady Asura effer haffe need of Hadffice, I could—"

"We'll be fine," Corrin said flatly. "Just give us space."

The doctor retracted his hand. "Of course. Call us if vu need hanyzing."

When the doctor closed the door behind him, Corrin continued staring blankly at his wife. Then, slowly, he sank to his knees, buried his face in his hands, and began to cry.


	76. Part 10: The Waking

A/N: Yeah, I hate this as much as you do, but in the grand scheme of things...you'll see why I had to punish myself this way.

* * *

When Azura opened her eyes, it was dark. Save for the flickering candle on her nightstand and a small crack between the curtains in front of the windows, the room was completely dark.

Azura frowned as she realized that she was almost completely naked underneath her bedsheets, save for her smallclothes. Clutching the blanket to her chest for modesty, Azura slowly sat up, wincing as she felt a pounding headache assail her forehead. When the pain stopped, Azura forced her eyes open and looked around the room.

"Corrin?" she called out gently.

Something moved in the darkness and Azura squinted towards it as she heard a chair being pushed back along the floor. A figure walked towards her, and for a moment, Azura was hopeful that it was Corrin, though it was soon tempered by disappointment when she realized it was none other than the healer that had declared her pregnant in the first place.

"Ah, zo vu'fe redurned to us, milady!" the doctor exclaimed, joyously clasping his hands together. "How do vu feel?"

"Not great," she admitted. Azura winced again and rested a hand against the side of her head when another wave of headaches pounded her forehead. "I have a pretty bad headache."

"Ah, zat vould be ein hunfordunate zide effect of zee antidote, milady," the doctor said apologetically. "Vut vorry not! It schall fade in due time."

"Antidote?" Azura asked. She lifted her hand against from her head as she looked around the room. "Wait, why am I in my room? What happened? Where's Corrin?"

"Mein, zo many gueszions!" the doctor said, pushing his glasses up with a finger. "Vorry not. Allow me to fetch your huspand. He is just houtzide. He schall tell vu vat habened."

Despite the gentle smile plastered across his face, Azura noticed how the doctor looked uncharacteristically nervous. Azura watched silently as the doctor rose from his chair and opened the door. She heard a few muffled words passed between him and what sounded like Corrin's voice, and then Corrin's silhouette stepped into the room.

"Azura?" he croaked. "Azura, are you there?"

Azura was shocked at how _tired_ he sounded. Just a few minutes ago, before she passed out, Corrin's voice had been full of life and energy. Deep, yet playful. Solid, yet warm. Now Corrin just sounded… _tired._

"I'm over here," Azura called softly, smiling at him. "On our bed."

She couldn't see Corrin moving around in the darkness but judging from the almost-silent curses under his breath and the occasional sharp intake of breath, Azura guessed the floor must be littered with something. After a few moments, Corrin's face finally appeared, bathed in the flickering orange glow of the candle next to Azura.

His red eyes were full of worry and something else Azura couldn't identify. After a moment, Azura started as she realized that it was _fear_.

Corrin gingerly took Azura's hand in his own, almost as if he couldn't believe she was here. Azura felt the worry inside her intensify when she felt how much his hands shoo, as if he had seen something particularly jarring or horrifying.

After a moment of silence, Corrin cracked his parched lips open and rasped, "Azura?"

"Hmm?"

"Are…are you alright?" Corrin averted his gaze away from her eyes. "How do you feel?"

"Apart from a slight headache, I feel fine," Azura said. She gave him a smile and turned her hand over so they could interlock fingers. "It's going to take a lot more than a black-out and some bad salad to keep me and Ada down."

Azura was expecting a sigh of relief or witty jab from Corrin, but to her concern, all he did was purse her lips and squeeze her hand. "I wish it was just a bad salad," he said, surprising Azura again with the bitterness in his tone.

"You were poisoned," he suddenly said, looking up at her. "Kaze, Lilith, and Otis did some investigating and it turns out you were poisoned."

"Poisoned?" Azura gasped. Hands flew unbidden to her mouth. "Me?"

Corrin nodded gravely. "We…we managed to figure out that the poison was wyrmsbane, a type of berry that comes from a rare plant in the Spine, Nohr's most dangerous mountain range."

"Wyrmsbane…" Azura said, letting the word roll off her tongue. For some reason, even the mere sound of the word caused her to feel a shiver down her spine, and as she saw how tense Corrin seemed after merely saying it, she knew he felt the same way about the poison.

"Let me guess, the plant is toxic to those of us with dragon blood inside of us?" Azura asked.

"Only the berries," Corrin clarified. "According to Lilith and some old journals she brought from the Rainbow Sage's library, the leaves of the plant itself is actually very healthy. It supposedly helps keep our scales clean and our breath fresh, but the berries themselves are like poison to us. Even one could potentially send me into a heart attack, and I already have a strong resistance to most poisons because of my blood."

"I'm surprised I lived then," Azura mused. "If one of those berries could almost kill me, imagine how it would affect a normal human."

"That's the thing," Corrin said, clenching his fist. "The berry is _only_ toxic to dragons. Normal humans could eat the berry and get a slight stomachache, but dragons who eat it could potentially die."

Azura felt her blood freeze as she realized the implications of what Corrin said. "But…you were the one who ordered the salad," she said quietly. "If it wasn't for me…"

"I would've died," Corrin finished. "But after seeing you like that, passed out on the ground, I would've gladly eaten those berries if it meant saving you and Ada."

"Don't say that," Azura scolded, but only half-heartedly. She took his face in her hands and stared into his ruby eyes. "The important thing is that all of us are safe and alright."

Corrin's gaze fell and this time, Azura could physically feel her blood chill as Corrin whispered, "Not all of us."

"What do you mean?" Azura pulled her hands away. "All three of us _are_ okay, right?"

Corrin gently took her hands in his own. When Azura looked at Corrin, she was shocked see a single tear sliding down his cheek. "Azura…we lost her…we lost Ada."

Azura felt the world freeze around her.

" _What?_ "

Her hands automatically moved to rest on her belly, as if to confirm her child was still there. As soon as the palm of her hands rested flat against her belly, Azura knew that Corrin told the truth. Ever since the baby had first kicked, Azura always felt this _energy_ inside her that came from the baby. It was as if Azura could sense Ada's life, but when Azura rested her hand on her belly, she felt no such energy.

Tears leapt unbidden to Azura's eyes as she stared at her stomach, unable to process what was going on. Corrin, who had remained stone-faced and silent the entire time Azura had checked her stomach, suddenly turned his head away and made a choked sound in his chest.

She knew Corrin was trying to hide his tears from her to make her feel better, but Azura didn't care. She didn't care about anything right now. She just…didn't. She felt empty.

When she faintly registered Corrin's hands taking her own and squeezing it, she squeezed back. When the doctor and his assistants cautiously peeked into the room a couple hours later to check on them, the two of them were still crying.


	77. Part 11 Update and News

Hi guys!

Yeah, I know this isn't Part 11 of The Parturiency, and I know a lot of you were caught off-guard, shocked at, or just plain upset at the 180 this story went, but trust me. All of this will come full circle in the end. Loss of life is no joke, especially if that life happened to be something _you_ created with the love of your life. It's a serious matter, and it's because of this reason that I am announcing that I will be delaying the next Part.

I know, that sucks. I've had some people say that they will (jokingly) riot if I don't update within three weeks...and I hate to break it to you, but it ain't happening in three weeks. Similarly to how I wrote Chapter 27: Endgame, this next chapter will be a long one. In fact, this next chapter could be the length of six or seven of your favorite works combined, assuming they're one-shots, of course. Chapter 27: Endgame was 90k PLUS words, excluding the author's notes. 90,000. That's the length of The Apocryphal One's ENTIRE 18 chapter masterpiece. And here's the thing:

This is a one-man job, right now.

That's right. There's been _one_ person who's been working on all these chapters for y'all. _One_ person, and that's me, an 18-year-old high school senior who's about to go into his first year of college.

I love doing this, I really do, but there comes a time where I need to pump the brakes and slow things down a little. Note: THIS IS NOT A HIATUS OR RETIREMENT ACCOUNCEMENT. I am simply telling you guys that over the course of the next 2-3 months, I _will_ be working on Part 11, but due to the extremely sensitive content in it, I _must_ make sure everything is spot on. Some of my chapters have noticeable flaws. I'm aware of this. I _want_ to fix them, but with me churning out at least 2-3 works every month, I haven't had the time (or drive) to do it.

So this is what's going to happen. I'm going to be going radio silent for the next 2-3 months while I work on Part 11. Expect _extremely_ heavy topics. It won't be to everyone's liking, and if you're put off with that kind of thing, I'm sorry, you're going to have to wait another 2 weeks after I post it. During that time period, I will also try to go back and fix as many flaws as I can. This would be MUCH easier if you guys all told me something you didn't like or wish to see changed either through leaving a review or by directly messaging me.

When I'm done with Part 11 and I'm satisfied, you guys will be the first to know. I haven't updated AO3 in months, but they won't know. When Part 11 ends and The Parturiency is wrapped up, then I'll finish up Arc 4: Tales of a New Valla, and then we'll launch into the 5th and final arc: The Reckoning (obviously temporary name but you guys have been so good to me that you deserve to at least know what I'll be working on).

But until then, I'll be going dark. Seeya

-D


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